The Best of You
by The BirdFox Hybrid Productions
Summary: It seems that not even the great Seifer Almasy is enough to stop Setzer Gabbiani's advances on Hayner as they begin to deviate from the Struggle ring. Hayner is starting to learn that a man's pride can cause an awful lot of pain. SeiHay.
1. x1

**The Best of You **

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The one thing that always peeved Hayner about struggle matches was probably Seifer's physical contact techniques that always resulted in their bodies pressing close, and Hayner being pinned in provocative positions while Seifer waved to the crowd.

It wasn't that Hayner disliked having Seifer's strong body crushed so persistently against his own smaller one, but it was the reaction that certain aspects of his anatomy happened to generate in a public arena when Seifer had his thick arm around Hayner's neck and a strong leg curved around the shorter teen's lanky one to hold Hayner flush against the blond bully's stomach while lazily smacking struggle balls off of Hayner's battle gear that would really get to him.

At the time, Hayner could do nothing but flail his arms around in an attempt to bat at Seifer in a near-pathetic manner, his knees going weak at the feel of hard hips against his backside and Seifer's breath ghosting over his neck.

Of course, after a shout of rage and a more-than-provocative jerk forward, Hayner had been able to slip free from Seifer's grasp and whirl around to tackle the older boy in an angry fit.

That had been four days ago, and Hayner hadn't entered a single practice match since then. School was back in session, and Hayner had forced all of his concentration into his studies, and delivering mail for his part-time job. He'd ended up requesting more hours to work so that his mind would no longer stray to the lazy smirk on Seifer's face that fluttered through his thoughts, or the ghost-feeling of large hands grasping to different parts of his body in a sensual and firm hold.

Winter in Twilight Town meant snowy beaches and cold weather, a prime reason for Hayner bundling himself up in a warm green jacket and a pair of his thicker jeans on the daily mail delivery that he'd managed to wheedle out of his employer. He had just happened to be taking another shortcut through the Underground Concourse on his way to Sunset Terrace when he heard a heavier set of footsteps coming from the entrance to his destination.

Hayner paused, hands gripping to the satchel of mail hooked over his shoulder and narrowing his eyes. Seifer walked with a profound clump in each of his steps, and Pence shuffled his feet, so he was well aware that it wasn't anyone he was completely familiar with. There wasn't many people besides the few teenagers that lived in Twilight town that used the Underground to take shortcuts- most of them rode the tram to save time and effort.

When Setzer came into Hayner's line of vision, the blond teen's lips became a pursed line. He ignored the self-confident smirk that plastered itself onto the man's mouth, causing the scar on his chin to curve upward with the movement, because it could only mean bad things to come. Hayner scowled profoundly, hiking the strap of his bag further up onto his shoulder and dropping his head down to hurry past the Struggle Champion.

As Hayner brushed past Setzer, he felt a strong hand grab onto his upper arm with a firm hold, wrenching Hayner back with a little more force than necessary so that he was standing in front of the pale-haired man. Hayner swallowed the almost-gasp of surprise that had reflexively tried to escape him, and instead turning it into a shout. "Hey- what's the big deal?" He barked out, brows furrowing and giving Setzer a vicious look of '_I am not pleased_.'

A thin brown quirked down at Hayner, and he suddenly felt like a child again, shrinking back in Setzer's grasp. "Let me go." Both of his hands grasped strongly enough to his satchel strap that the skin of his knuckles splashed white as he growled out his demand. Setzer hummed low in his throat, his other hand slipping out from under his coat to cup the underside of Hayner's chin.

"You've grown since the last competition." It was a light, reminiscing comment that referred to the Spring Match that Hayner had entered and lost to Seifer in. His calloused thumb brushed meticulously along the curve of Hayner's jaw, sending shivers through the boy's nerves and a bile rising in his stomach. Hayner snapped a hand out to slap Setzer's fingers off of him.

"Don't touch me." The blond gritted out- his mind trying to force out images of that same match last spring, when the aftermath had caused Hayner to barely escape with his body still pure. He may have been a teenager, but living with his grandmother and a heap of responsibilities taught Hayner not to do things with others until he was older, which was something that he knew Roxas had yet to learn- given that he often skipped school to hang out with a college student named Axel.

Setzer hummed again, a smile darting along his pale lips. "You're very upset today." It wasn't a question, but a statement that was spoken soft enough that it would be barely audible to anyone who wasn't Hayner. Hayner stepped back from the pale-haired man before him, shaking his head.

"You're a pervert." He retorted darkly, triggering a barking laugh from Setzer, who reached out to run a large hand along the teen's cheek. "You're a child who wants to be a man, who better to teach you to become a man than myself?" Hayner shuddered, batting Setzer's hand off of him again and whirling around. He barely made it two steps before feeling his body grabbed and turned, pressed face-first against the cold brick walls of the Underground. He managed a noise of shock before he felt pressure behind him- and dread came with the knowledge that it was Setzer's body holding him there. The only thought that came to Hayner, was how Setzer didn't feel the same as Seifer, and where hands were pinning his wrists to the bricks, should be fingers grabbing at his stomach and shoulder to keep him from struggling.

"Come now, Hayner, don't be difficult." Setzer cooed, mouth ghosting over the shell of Hayner's ear. Hayner squirmed and released a loud snarl- though it more resembled a caged animal than it did a teenager. He felt puffs of breath hitting his cheek, evidence of the man's quiet laughter. Hayner pulled at his wrists, feeling the muscles in his biceps flexing in an attempt to become stronger. His palms and fingers scraped at the rough brick, doing nothing but tear his hands up and sent flares of pain through his arms.

"Let go of me, you freak!" It was a rough bark, desperation lining the last few words when Hayner realized his strength paled in comparison to the man behind him. Hayner's knees buckled against his will, and an angry and indecipherable sound broke from his mouth when his cheek hit the wall. He was doing more damage to himself that Setzer was- who seemed to be waiting for Hayner to tire his body out before continuing.

"Hey- What's going on over there?" Seifer's unmistakable voice echoed down the tunnels of the Underground, and Hayner tensed instantly. Setzer's grip on his wrists became firmer, a huff of displeasure escaping the Struggle Champion. Fear and panic gripped Hayner- in a way where he couldn't bear Seifer seeing him so vulnerable- and his struggles increased tenfold. Setzer did nothing more than step closer to the blond, tutting at Hayner to stay still.

Seifer's footsteps grew louder.

Hayner jerked his head back, wincing when it cracked harshly against Setzer's chin and drew a startled noise from the man- who had most likely bitten his tongue. Setzer lifted Hayner's right hand, forcing it and his own arm to curl around Hayner's stomach, hugging the teen so tightly that Hayner couldn't stop the loud exhale of breath that was forced from him, along with a grunt of pain.

It was loud enough for Seifer to hear, judging by the sounds of the blond bully approaching the Sunset Terrace entrance from deeper in the Underground. There was a moment of silence- probably Seifer freezing to catch Hayner in such a provocative moment with a man nearly ten years older than himself. It seemed to drag on forever, Hayner's body captive beneath Setzer's large frame, squirming to get free.

"Isn't he a little old for you?" Seifer snapped out, his voice as cold as a block of ice pressing against Hayner's spine. Setzer laughed softly and Seifer sounded as if he was approaching. "I'm sure you'd rather go for elementary students than a kid who's pushing puberty."

This time, Hayner realized who Seifer was speaking to, and increased his struggles. "You're an ass, Seifer!" The teen snapped out, jerking his body to try and wriggle his arm from where it was pinned brutally to his stomach. Setzer released him, and Hayner fell to the ground in surprise at the sudden freedom. His hands smacked against the concrete, echoing through the silent tunnel as envelopes slipped from the top of his satchel and scattered across the floor.

Seifer stepped up to Setzer and grabbed the man by the collar. "Where do you get off molesting teenagers?" Setzer smiled at the younger man, placing a hand over Seifer's own. Seifer sneered, shoving the older man off of him and wiping the back of his hand on his pants. "Disgusting." He spat out, earning nothing more than a coy grin from Setzer before the man turned in a whirl of his coat and walked out of the tunnel as calmly as he had first entered.

Hayner remained immobile from where he sat on the ground, staring at his scraped up palms in silence. He couldn't decipher from the anger, frustration, and mortification that swelled up inside him, the underlying relief that Seifer had come and the lingering hope that his attraction wasn't wholeheartedly one-sided were the only things that kept tears from swimming in his honey eyes.

Seifer turned to face Hayner, and the younger blond pushed himself to his feet. Hayner ignored the shock of pain that came from using his injured palms to push his body into a stand and gathered up the scattered mail envelopes that had slipped from his bag during his fall. He turned away from Seifer to leave the Underground.

"Where do you think you're going, Chicken-Wuss?" Seifer called out, sneering the nickname in such a manner that Hayner felt his stomach drop. Seifer was no different than before- only with more material to make Hayner's life hell. It was rarely that the older blond ever hinted at an ounce of kindness to Hayner- and only under circumstances where he wasn't showing off to Rai and Fuu. To hear Seifer being the typical jackass when they were alone just meant that Hayner really had nothing to show for all his efforts at trying to tolerate the blond bully.

He continued his hurried pace towards the Sunset Terrace entrance, ignoring when Seifer yelled out that mocking nickname again, and instead shouldering his back up higher. He was at the mouth of the entrance when Seifer shouted once more.

"_Hayner!_"_  
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Something struck a chord inside of Hayner, and he whirled around, his voice bursting out from somewhere deep inside. "Leave me alone, **jerk-off**!" It echoed loudly throughout the tunnel, reverberating across the brick walls and making the following silence deafening. He spared a fraction of a glance to see Seifer's face- unreadable as ever- and stormed out of the tunnel, ignoring the few letters that fell out of his satchel again.

----

The days following what Hayner had silently called '_The Underground Incident_'were even more tense than the ones prior. Every time he was in the same room as Seifer, things became thick and quiet, neither boy wanting to speak first. There were odd looks between classmates and teachers alike, and when Seifer would even attempt to make any form of conversation (teasing or otherwise) with Hayner, he was shot down with violent statements telling him to '_go die in a hole_.' or '_go away_.'.

Roxas had seemed to notice the atmosphere before Pence and Olette, and had called Hayner one night after a few days of dealing with the vicious and one-sided spat that Hayner and Seifer seemed to be trapped in. He'd managed to get little more than nothing out of his best friend, and the call had ended on less-than-friendly terms when Hayner had shut his phone off and proceeded to put it on silent.

The following day- a Saturday- was met with melancholy. After making his mandatory mail deliveries, Hayner had found himself sitting on the pier, bundled up and watching the snow flutter down and disappear into the ocean. He never questioned how Twilight Town managed to have a beach and four complete seasons, but he appreciated the change in weather each season- it made him feel like his life was a little less monotonous than it really was.

Wood creaked behind him, and Hayner glanced back to see Seifer standing a ways back, struggle bat slung over a shoulder and his coat buttoned closed and a turtleneck on underneath. They didn't exchange any words for a long time, and Hayner turned back around to face the water, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his thick jacket and tucking his mouth behind his thick scarf. Seifer's feet shifted before his voice, deep and demanding, spoke up.

"Do you always let him touch you that way?"

Hayner tensed, his jaw clenching so tightly that the muscles flexed in them. He opened his mouth to retort, but Seifer beat him to the punch. "I didn't think you were such a coward." A spark of anger replaced the exasperation that had previously taken hold of his emotions, and he moved to stand up.

"Look, bastard." He began, reaching out a hand to grab onto the old wooden rail of the pier. It gave a loud creak as Hayner used it for leverage to pull himself to his feet. "I don't know why you're sticking your stupid, scarred face into my business, but I have it under con-" The rail gave another crack as Hayner moved to turn around. It threw him off balance, and he wasn't prepared for the wooden rung to detach itself from the rest of the barrier. The last thing he saw before overbalancing on the edge of the pier was Seifer's shocked face, and then he slipped over the edge and into the water with a large splash.

The first thing that came to Hayner's mind was how unbearably cold the ocean could be during the winter. The second was that his heavy parka coat made it hard for him to kick his legs up to the surface, and he barely moved an inch. He tried to open his eyes- to judge the distance to the surface, but icy salt water burned at his eyes and caused him to clench them shut in pain. Upon hitting the water, the shock of cold had been enough to push the last breath of air from him, and as Hayner clawed his way back up to the surface, his chest burned worse than it ever had before. He couldn't stop his body from trying to suck in the air that wasn't around him, coughing and choking on the water that took its place. His scarf clung to his face and nearly choked him, causing Hayner to scramble to wrench it off, letting it drift away into the water as he continued to kick his legs, reaching an arm out.

His fingers hit cold air, and he felt a strong hand take hold of his arm, followed by another one as he was tugged from the water and onto the edge of the pier. He'd apparently swam sideways, making it close enough to shore that whoever had grabbed him was able to reach into the water from the rail-less side of the wooden walkway. Strong arms tugged him up against a warm body, someone's hands pulling at his overcoat and unbuttoning it rapidly. Hayner rolled away from the person- Seifer- who held him, and coughed out what ocean water had filled his throat and stomach, heaving and gasping loudly. Seifer pressed a hand to his back and Hayner bat at it, trying to get the older boy to leave him be.

Seifer grabbed at him again, ignoring how Hayner continued to spit out excess salt water. Tears were rising in his eyes, pain still stinging at them from when he'd tried to see underwater. Seifer pulled him back, trying once more to unbutton Hayner's coat. Hayner blinked up at him with bleary eyes, startled at the look of concentration on the older blond's face. He scowled, moving to shove Seifer off of him when he felt his heavy coat suddenly being pulled off of him- the cold air not as biting as the wet jacket had been. He coughed wetly, squirming in Seifer's arms. "Let me go, bastard!" He snapped, irritation rising as shivers began to wrack his body. Shouting that single statement made it hard for him to breathe, and he gasped in heavily for air, clawing at the wood below his hands in frustration.

"Its cold out, dumbass, do you want to get hypothermia?" Seifer barked, grasping a warm hand to Hayner's trembling bicep- now exposed without his jacket on. Hayner didn't like the shocks of relief it sent him to feel that heat spreading from Seifer's hand, and squirmed angrily, shoving at the blond's chest. Breathing heavily, Hayner growled low in his throat- though its effectiveness died out when he broke off into a fit of shivering coughs that were followed up by attempts to drag in enough air to breathe.

"I- I don't need y-your help." He grumbled, lower lip trembling enough to cause a stutter in his voice. Seifer scoffed, standing up and forcing Hayner to his feet, ignoring how the boy seemed to be bordering on hyperventilation.

"Right, just like you didn't need my help with Setzer." Before Hayner could make any kind of indignant yell or even shove Seifer away, he was hoisted up over Seifer's strong shoulder, holding tightly to Hayner's thighs and wrapping an arm across the blond's lower back to keep him in place. "Give up on the whole pride thing, chicken-wuss, it ain't cuttin' out for you."

Hayner would have normally fought him tooth and nail, but as the occasional gust of wind darted past them, he felt his body becoming colder and colder, and finding himself less-inclined to protest Seifer's behavior. He clutched to himself tightly, forcing his breathing to slow down and clenching his jaw shut. It didn't last long, and he has to gasp out for air even more violently than before, each breath a trembling shudder. He placed a shaking hand over his mouth, feeling Seifer shift his weight when they reached the end of the pier and to pull Hayner down into his arms before setting him on the ground.

"I can't carry you all the way, you're gonna have to walk." Hayner's knees buckled as Seifer spoke, and the older blond had to pull him upright again. "I know you're probably cold as fuck, but my place isn't too far from here. Just stick with it." Without thinking, Hayner nodded, his footsteps following Seifer's as they made their way across the empty beach and towards the handful of condominiums that were just down the street. It made sense, in Hayner's slowly fogging mind. Seifer never seemed to take trips home during the day, like Hayner and the others would. He probably had a train pass to the mainland every day in order to attend school and Struggle matches.

His breathing slowed fractionally, though still labored, and his knees buckled under him again. As much as he forced his legs to walk, it was if he was becoming paralyzed with cold. When he hit the ground, snow clung to his wet hands, icy water dripping from his damp hair and into his eyes. Hayner winced, struggling to pull himself into a stand and releasing a gasp of despair when his body refused to obey. Seifer cursed, helping Hayner to his feet and then lifting him up into his arms again.

"I'm cold, I- I can't move very well. Shit." Hayner uttered, his head thumping against Seifer's chest as the older boy struggled to carry him down the rest of the block. The streets were empty- most likely because the majority of residents were elderly folk, sitting in their homes with their feet on top of the heater to keep warm. Hayner tucked his arms close to his body, wiping them on his wet shirt to clear the frost off of his fingers- though it did little to help the icy sting he'd acquired in his hands. Seifer's walk was unsteady, his arms moving to adjust Hayner's weight every few seconds so he didn't lose his grip. They made it inside before Seifer nearly dropped the shorter blond, lowering Hayner none-too-gently to the ground in order to catch his breath.

Hayner slid to his knees, clutching to his bare arms- knowing his sleeveless shirt did little to keep his body warm- and trying to keep his teeth from clicking together as loudly as they were. He rose one trembling hand to slick his hair back out of his face, shaking off excess water from his fingertips and hugging himself once more.

Seifer up righted himself again and stooped down to grab Hayner and pull the smaller boy to his feet. Hayner's eyes felt heavy- weighed down by invisible hands that urged him to sleep- and he leaned into Seifer.

It seemed as though the blond bully was displeased, and used one hand to give Hayner a rough shake. "I swear to God, if you fall asleep I will kick your ass into next year's Struggle match." This seemed to jolt a bit more energy into Hayner, and he eased off of his companion, allowing one of his arms to be pulled over Seifer's shoulder and for his body to be half-dragged to the elevator.

When they got in, Seifer took the time to adjust Hayner and help the blond regain his bearings as the heat from the building truly started to seep into his trembling body. He leaned his head to the side, eyes slipping shut as the elevator ascended floors. His mind slipped out of focus for a fraction of a second before Seifer jostled his arm, causing Hayner to regain awareness long enough that he could see the elevator doors had opened. Seifer stepped forward and Hayner stumbled along with him, still supported by an arm over the older boy's shoulder.

"I can't believe you fell in the water. Are you trying to kill yourself? Dumbass." Seifer muttered, partially to Hayner and partially to himself as they stopped in front of what Hayner assumed was Seifer's condo. The older boy let go of Hayner, who wobbled unsteadily and squinted his eyes to try and focus them. Shivering, Hayner leaned against the wall and hugged himself tightly, tremors taking him every now and then. His breathing was still labored, but it wasn't bordering on hyperventilation any longer. It seemed as though being forced to stay awake had kept his body temperature from dropping any further. Seifer opened the door and instantly pulled Hayner in, not waiting half a second before taking the blond boy's shirt off- much to Hayner's weak and breathless protests- and throwing it onto the floor.

Hayner held his arms to his chest, shielding his body from sight as Seifer walked away, leaving him shaking in the middle of the living room. "Get out of those pants, I'm getting you a change of clothes." Seifer called out from somewhere further into the room. Hayner kicked his shoes of, leaning against the wall for support so that he could peel his wet socks form his feet and stuff them inside of his shoes. He placed them by the door and shakily fumbled with the button of his jeans, embarrassment nearly winning over the need to divest himself of the clothes that were making him twice as cold as he would be without them. He cursed, fingers too stiff to properly grasp the button, and tried to pull his jeans down without undoing them. It was to no avail- having earlier decided to wear a set that fit him snugly. He went back to trying to unclasp the button, and ended up holding his hands to his mouth to try and warm them.

Seifer returned with a handful of clothes, and scowled at the sight of Hayner. "You can't even do one thing I ask you to?" He barked, and Hayner flinched away in embarrassment.

"M-my hands are too cold, j-jackass." He muttered, holding them out to show Seifer how they never once ceased in shaking. Seifer sighed, placing the clothes down on the couch nearby him, and approaching Hayner. The younger blond had little time to protest as Seifer's fingers hooked into his belt loops and wrenched him forward, instantly unbuttoning and un-zipping Hayner's pants and giving them a tug downward. Hayner jumped, shoving Seifer away and turning around.

"I- I can do the r-rest." He shot back, giving the blond a heavy glare over his shoulder. Seifer rolled his eyes and moved to get the clothes he'd abandoned. "Come on, chicken-wuss, we haven't got all day." Seifer snapped, and Hayner quickly divested himself of his jeans, stepping out of them and cupping his groin over his boxers. He turned to look at Seifer with a scowl and was met with a handful of clothes hitting him in the face. He snatched them up, reveling in the tiny bit of warmth that they seemed to leak out, and hurriedly tugged on the white shirt. When he went to pull on the pants, Seifer stopped him.

"Go in the other room and take your boxers off, you should know better, dipshit. You're gonna kill yourself if you don't try to keep your body warm." Hayner would have had some kind of vehement retort, but he was well aware that Seifer had spent two years in lifeguard training to earn extra community service hours- considering how Seifer had constantly bragged about having to be the one to save their lives if they ever drowned or were attacked by a shark - it was hard not to know. Instead, he slowly shuffled off in the direction that Seifer was pointing, opening what looked like a bedroom door and closing it behind himself.

Wasting no time in shedding his boxers, Hayner rubbed his hands along his wobbling thighs to try and warm them before he gave up and tugged on the large pants Seifer previously had tossed at him. They sagged off of his hips enough that Hayner felt the need to tie drawstrings tight. He gathered up his wet pants and left the room- closing the door behind him and watching Seifer pull a thick quilt from a linen closet that was in the entryway. Seifer caught sight of the younger blond and nodded his head towards the couch. "The heater's on, sit down."

Hayner shuffled over to the couch, flopping down onto it. His hair, still wet, dripped down the back of his neck and into the collar of the shirt. He grimaced at the cold feeling, but said nothing when Seifer handed him the large quilt with no spoken words. Hayner took it, wrapping the blanket around his body and moving to lay down whenever a towel landed on his head. He scowled, reaching up a hand to take it off when Seifer began to scrub it into his scalp.

"H-hey! Stop it!" Hayner barked, trying to pull his head away from Seifer's ministrations. The older boy didn't stop, but he did take the time to be gentler with drying Hayner's hair.

"I don't see why you let him do that to you." Seifer murmured, massaging the towel into the nape of his neck. Hayner pulled the quilt around himself tightly, his lower lip catching between his teeth. He bit down on it gently before releasing it with a huff. "The bastard's stronger than me."

Seifer rubbed at his temples, scrunching and catching all the moisture before continuing to move the towel back and forth. "You hate it more when I touch you." Hayner said nothing, and Seifer continued. "Didn't realize I was worse than that child molester." The blond bully spat out, his fingers digging into Hayner's hair enough to draw a wince from the younger blond.

"That hurts." He snapped, pulling his head away from Seifer's grasp with a scowl. Seifer stared down at him for a long moment before turning around. "I know." He left, disappearing into his room and shutting the door soundly. A long breath escaped Hayner and he clutched to the large blanket, sneaking a hand out to tug the towel off of his head before laying down on his side. The couch was soft- as if it had been used for a long time - but it smelled like Seifer, only with a house-type of musk to it that came from age. He sighed, a scowl coming to his face before he curled up into the blanket, tremors tearing across his body.

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**AN:**

Whew. What a rush. :3


	2. x2

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**Best of You**

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The first thing that filtered into Hayner's mind the following morning was the sound of a door being pulled shut. He shifted, hugging the quilt more tightly to himself and listening to Seifer's heavy feet clump through the living room and return back into what Hayner assumed was the older boy's bedroom. He squirmed about in an attempt to awaken himself further and clenched his eyes shut, sitting up.

It took him a moment to focus in on what he was looking at in particular, but when he did, it became apparent that Seifer's condo looked as if it belonged to the typical teenage boy -- clothes were strewn about, and a handful of cups sat on the coffee table, along with the random empty bowl. Beside the television was a shelf of movie cases, but Hayner assumed the stack of CDs atop the television itself was where the majority of those movies actually resided.

The blond skater huffed out a sigh between his teeth, leaning his head back against the couch and staring up at the ceiling. He hadn't expected Seifer to do what he had, never thought that the bully would care about Hayner's life enough to let the younger boy stay the night at his condo.

That brought another thought to Hayner's mind as he contemplated searching for the remote control. Seifer didn't seem like the kind to live alone, and there was no possible way for him to afford owning a beach-side condominium. It was possible that he'd inherited it, but doubtful.

Deciding to forego watching television, Hayner made a mental note to ask Seifer the next time they were on relatively friendly terms.

The thought of leaving crossed Hayner's mind -- before he remembered that his train ticket was in the very same jacket that Seifer had stripped off of Hayner and left at the pier -- and he settled back into the couch. It meant that Hayner probably wouldn't be getting home any time soon.

Realizing this, he begrudgingly left the cocooning warmth of the blanket and stood. His body ached, tremors of initial cold setting in as he stretched sore limbs, arching himself and groaning when a few joints cracked.

Shaking his arms and head to loosen them up, Hayner wandered over to what looked like the kitchen, his chestnut eyes landing on a phone that was plugged into the wall on the little island counter. Grinning, he shuffled his cold toes over to it and picked up the receiver, dialing his house and waiting for his grandmother to answer the phone.

It took a few moments before she answered, and at the same time, Hayner caught the numbers 9:45 glowing from a microwave inside of the kitchen.

"Hello?" His grandmother's voice was weak- something he was steadily becoming used to as the days wore on and she seemed to lose more and more energy to do the little things around the house. She was prone to sleeping in later and staying up late to watch her favorite shows on their small black and white television- meaning he'd probably woke her up.

"Hey gramma, its Hayner." He peered over to Seifer's door, seeing shadows moving on the other side. His grandmother made a sound of acknowledgment. "Hayner, where have you been?" Though her voice was filled with concern, Hayner could tell just by the sound of it that his grandmother wasn't too happy with him. He winced- knowing full well that he was most likely going to receive an ear full when he got home.

"I'm at Roxas' house. We went out to the pier last night and lost track of time. His place is closer, and we might hang out for a while, I don't know." It all came out in a rush of words, and Hayner wrung his hands around the base of the phone.

His grandmother hummed in thought before sighing.

"I guess it can't be helped. Be home for supper, all right?"

"Yeah, love you gramma, bye." Hayner hung up after exchanging his farewells, watching Seifer's door open and for the aforementioned blond come walking out of his room. He wasn't wearing his typical coat, but a pair of black jeans and a form-fitting navy shirt that caused Hayner's stomach to drop for reasons the blond only wished he didn't know. His chest was a lot more toned than Hayner had realized- dipping into the small curve of his stomach and a flare of his hips that left Hayner wanting to press his body up against those toned muscles.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, and Hayner placed the phone back into the cradle slowly. He was at a loss for words, eyes vainly trying to concentrate on the hole in the wall beside Seifer's door that looked suspiciously like a fist. Seifer cleared his throat and strode past Hayner and into the kitchen, pulling a cup out of the cabinet and going about getting himself a glass of water. Hayner shifted, taking his hand from the phone. "Where are my clothes at?" He felt more awkward trying to strike conversation with Seifer than starting a fight.

Seifer was quiet, taking a drink from his glass and placing it on the counter. "I had to get your jacket from the pier. Your clothes are in the dryer." He looked up at Hayner, and for the first time, the younger boy noticed how much of a vividly pale blue Seifer's eyes were. Startled, Hayner's voice left him for the second time that morning. Without his typical beanie on, Seifer's fair blond hair fell in uneven locks around his face, framing his cheeks-- though a good portion of it seemed to be matted into a slicked-back fashion from constantly wearing his beanie. Hayner had to resist the urge to reach out and feel if Seifer's silken locks were really as soft as they looked.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Hayner glanced away from the persistent stare that Seifer had leveled on him, and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So how am I gonna get back home without any money and a ruined train ticket?" Seifer grunted, removing his hand from where it had still been gripping tightly to his cup, and walked out of the kitchen.

"You'll think of something." Seifer murmured, stalking into the living room and gathering up the quilt Hayner had used. He went about folding it, ignoring how Hayner seemed to tense up angrily and open his mouth to blurt out a retort. The blond youth's mind seemed to catch up to him, however, and he caught his voice before he shouted something particularly harsh to the older boy. Seifer had been the one to fish him out of the lake -- though it had inadvertently been his fault -- and had taken him home, practically saving Hayner's life. He allowed a low growl to emit from the back of his throat, but other than that, kept silent and turned, watching Seifer move to stick the quilt back in the linen closet.

"Th..uh. Thanks for yesterday." Hayner glanced down, wringing his hands together uncomfortably. The air was thick with tension, so much so that it seemed the atmosphere itself was nearly suffocating. The older boy let out a long sigh of a breath and shut the door, looking up at Hayner. His pale face contorted into a frustrated grimace and he scoffed loudly, whirling around and going back into his room. Hayner's chest tightened and he exhaled loudly, reaching a hand up to twist it in the fabric of the borrowed white tee.

It hurt to know that, even when trying to extend a friendly hand, Seifer shot him down. It could have been because Seifer now knew about Setzer, but Hayner couldn't bring himself to confess that he always seemed to become paralyzed with fear when the older man would approach.

Hayner was disgusted with himself at knowing he was so weak, and stepped away from the counter to grab his shoes from where they were sitting by the door. He lifted the pair, wincing at how soggy they were, and slipped his feet into them. Water squished between his toes, generating an uncomfortable and cold feeling in his legs, but Hayner ignored it in favor of standing up. A quick glance around the room let Hayner know that there wasn't a jacket in sight and that if he were to venture out- he'd have to face the cold in what he was already wearing. Holding back the sigh that wanted to escape him, Hayner quietly made his way to the door, twisting the knob and walking out of the condo without so much as a glance backwards.

Hayner didn't bother shutting the door quietly, instead allowing it to all-but slam closed before the blond teen started towards the elevator at a hurried pace, using one hand to slick back his still-damp hair that now stuck every-which-way possible.

Stepping inside the elevator, Hayner caught sight of Seifer opening his door and looking over at him just as the automated doors of the elevator snapped shut. He hit the floor button, staring at his reflection in the large, distorted mirror and trying once more to fix his haphazardly styled blond locks before the elevator beeped once and the doors opened. Making his way down the short hallway and barely made it outside of the lobby doors before his entire body was struck with an unbearable early-morning cold.

Snow crunched under his feet, sticking to his wet shoes and the hem of the pants that he'd borrowed from Seifer. The sun was barely glinting over the tops of surrounding buildings, hiding the warm sun-rays from touching Hayner's chilled skin.

Tremors began again, tearing through his very core and sending aftershocks of trembling through his limbs. The icy air bit at his eyes and ears- no doubt turning them a rosy color. Hayner waded through the snow, holding to his own body and heading in the direction he knew the train station to be in.

Hayner didn't know what to feel about Seifer's hospitality. The older boy was a cocky, pigheaded asshole who only cared about himself and those that benefited to him. To Hayner, knowing that Seifer had a kind-hearted side was a reality that sent his mind reeling. He couldn't stand the prospect of Seifer pitying him so much that the older blond would actually turn the other cheek.

As the wind picked up, Hayner's joints began to ache from the cold sting and he nearly turned back. The only thing stopping him from returning to the warmth of the older boy's condo and the faint feeling of being wanted, were Seifer's words returning to him.

_"Do you always let him touch you like that?"_

Hayner grit his teeth, sniffling when he felt his nose begin to run. Setzer had been harassing him for months- ever since the man had walked into the Struggle locker rooms while Hayner was in the midst of changing his clothes.

At first, Hayner hadn't understood the look on Setzer's face, nor did he take note of the leer in the man's eyes, but now he knew that expression far too well. It was the lingering touches and the way Setzer always happened to be just where he wasn't wanted that notified Hayner that the Struggle champion's advances were not normal. His fingers shook unsteadily, and attempted to stick them into pockets that weren't there. He slid them up under his armpits, relishing in the mild warmth that came from the small crevices of his thinly muscled arms.

He heard Seifer, even before the blond bully yelled out his name. The older boy's footsteps were heavy crunches in the snow, kicking the soft ice off of the sidewalk in his rush to get to Hayner. When Hayner gave him no response, it seemed to anger Seifer even more- judging by the way Hayner's upper arm was grabbed roughly and he was whirled around to stare into the icy gray eyes of the very person that sent his heart beating wildly in his chest.

Seifer's other hand grabbed to Hayner's right arm, pinning the blond teen in place. The scowl on the older boy's face was enough to enhance the contours of the ragged scar that tore diagonally across the bridge of his nose and forehead.

Hayner's concentration seemed to focus on that scar, noting how the malformed skin was a darker tone than the rest of Seifer's pale flesh, and that it seemed to enhance the dusty gray and blue specks in his eyes. Realizing he was staring, Hayner averted his gaze to the angry scowl on the other boy's mouth, and then away. A coil of frustrated anger sprang up in Hayner's gut as he was reminded of how Seifer seemed to only pity him outside of his regular hatred.

Squirming in the grasp of Seifer Almasy was a futile thing to do, he soon found out. Giving up after a moment, Hayner shoved at the bully's strong chest, frustration doubling when he got nothing but bursts of pain in his arms from where the older boy's grip enhanced. The near-distraught teen before him gave his shoulders a rough shake to force Hayner into ceasing movement.

"What kind of stupid _idiot_ are you?" Seifer barked, his throat a deep growl that sent a chill through Hayner's spine. Hayner's fingers curled into the thin fabric of Seifer's shirt, his grip weak from the cold, but when he opened his mouth to retaliate, he was cut off. "I don't know what's going through that thick head of yours, but you need to learn when to take your godamn pride and shove it up your stupid ass before you get yourself **killed.**" The anger in Seifer's eyes was something Hayner had never faced. It gave him a carnal need to run, to be safe from the danger that held him tight like a snake's prey.

Hayner writhed in Seifer's arms, his knees buckling under him in an attempt to get away from this sudden danger he was faced with- this unknown fear that Seifer would hurt him terribly in a physical and mental manner. Seifer's rage seemed to quell at the way Hayner was desperately wriggling, his thin and shaking body dropping to the snow-littered sidewalk and kicking up enough of the cold powder to leave a body-sized imprint in the ground. The younger boy couldn't rationalize much past the connection between Seifer's anger and the way Setzer would often pin him in place before letting his mouth and hands wander.

"L-let go!" He snapped, using his own body weight to try and tug out of Seifer's arms. The result was a polar opposite of his desire, when Seifer wrenched him forward, holding the blonde's trembling body to his chest. The sudden cocoon of warmth heated up Hayner's cold skin, leaving the shorter teen with a craving need for more of it. Shaking lessening with each second spent in those strong arms, Hayner clenched his jaw tightly. He could feel one of Seifer's hands holding tightly to the back of his head, forcing his cheek to rest against the taller boy's clothed collarbone.

"I swear to God, if you die, I will never hear the end of it." Seifer growled lowly, fingers of his other hand digging into Hayner's side. Without thinking, Hayner raised his arms up to his chest in an attempt to bury himself against the intoxicating warmth of Seifer

His honey eyes fell shut and he bit down on his lower lip in an attempt at preventing it from chapping even more from the cold wind. It wobbled in his mouth, and his body felt icy in places that were unprotected.

His toes hurt, wet sneakers absorbing the surrounding snow and sending a growing numbness through his legs. He clenched down, eyes screwing shut.

"S-s'not m-my fault y-yer a jack- jackass." Was his uneven retort, followed up by a grumpy sniffle and Hayner's face rubbing any nose-residue on Seifer's shirt as a silent revenge. Seifer released a noise of disgust, shoving Hayner away and instead pushing him in the direction of the condo. "Don't wipe your shit on me because you want to try and freeze yourself to death!" The blond bully snapped, giving Hayner another forceful push to get the boy walking.

Hayner tripped over himself, nearly falling into the snow, had Seifer not grabbed him by the crook of the elbow and forced him back on his feet.

"Stop it, d-dick!" Hayner recoiled his arm, hugging it to his chest and making an unsteady walk back to Seifer's condo. Seifer sneered, walking up behind him and giving the blond teen a hearty thwack to the back of his head. "Don't try to freeze yourself next time, duh-dick."

Hayner winced, hands moving to nurse the back of his head- but he chose to keep silent. There was only so far he could go before he knew that Seifer wouldn't hesitate in knocking his lights out. They made it back to the elevator before Seifer spoke again- this time grumbling under his breath.

"You never were the brightest crayon in the box." Without thinking, Hayner's arm shot out and smacked into Seifer's chest in a weak attempt at punching the older boy. A bark of a laugh escaped the blond bully before Seifer went silent and stepped out of the elevator, walking down the hall and opening the apparently unlocked door to his condo.

Hayner followed him, seething quietly, and tried to rub more warmth into his arms. It did little to help, but it was enough to hold him over before he stepped inside of Seifer's place. Without thinking, the blond boy made a beeline for the couch, snatching up the quilt and spinning in a circle to fully encompass his body in it.

Ignoring the amused snort from the room's only other occupant, Hayner settled himself onto the couch. If he was going to be forced to stay there, he might as well make himself comfortable.

That being decided, Hayner spotted the television remote hiding under a messy pile of magazines and old T.V. Guides. He snuck a hand out from under the blanket to snatch it up and flip on the television without a word to Seifer.

While Hayner settled himself into the old couch, the blond bully went about smacking pans and plates around- the refrigerator creaking open and smacking shut. Hayner glanced over the small counter that separated the living room from the kitchen to see Seifer making what looked like eggs and toast. ()

The sound of a frying pan smacking down onto the stove drew a wince from the blond skater, who then tried to drown out the sounds of eggs hissing on the skillet and the toaster's lever being punched down. It was a weird moment of melancholy, to be sitting in a small pseudo-home, snuggled up in a quilt with the television playing soap operas quietly in the background while the sounds of breakfast being made came from the other end of the room. Ignoring Seifer didn't get him very far, Hayner realized as he found himself listening to the near inaudible humming that the blond bully apparently did while cooking, and he leaned back against the couch to close his eyes and revel in the moment.

_"Sí, pedro, a mi madre le gusta frijoles!"_ Sobbed the Hispanic woman to the man holding her in his arms.

A knock at the door startled both boys, but Hayner didn't bother to move from his seat on the couch. On the other hand, Seifer shoved the eggs off of the burner and stomped over to the door, swinging it open without a single word. Hayner leaned forward, peering across the living room and to the doorway, where Rai and Fuu stood with irritated scowls on both of their faces. He couldn't help but feel miffed that their time alone had been interrupted -- regardless of how irritable Seifer seemed to be acting.

"Seifer, the crew's gettin' real uneasy, y'know? They's sayin' how Zorian an' his crew ain't gonna sit around for long, y'know? It's all gonna get nasty sometime soon, y'know?" Fuu's arm shot out to cut Rai off, scowl deepening.

"**Not alone?**" She harped, single steely eye peering past Seifer's large shoulder and into the room.

It landed on Hayner and the blond tensed, instantly turning his gaze back at the television as if he hasn't just been eavesdropping. Seifer stepped in front of Fuu's line of vision, throwing Hayner a warning glance before stepping out of the condo completely and shutting the door behind him with a solid '_click_'.

Hayner instantly turned down the volume in an attempt to catch any form of conversation- but they were apparently talking too lowly for him to overhear anything. Disgruntled, the blond teen turned up the television again and settled for flipping through the channels before he decided to watch reruns of some kid's cartoon called '_Quixotic_'.

Save for the quiet voices coming from the television, the room was eerily silent. The heater hummed gently from the vents in the ceiling, causing the walls to creak every now and then. A a sudden loud spring from the toaster that startled a small squeak out of Hayner before he could stop himself.. He laughed quietly in embarrassment, running a thumb absently over the buttons of the remote control.

When Seifer returned, he was alone and looking more than unhappy. His right hand was clenched into a fist while the other one shut the door behind him. Without a word to Hayner, the blond bully marched back into the kitchen and slammed the frying pan onto the stove. The eggs hissed loudly at being forced back onto the heat while Seifer did nothing more than wrench out the toast from the toaster and drop them onto their respective plates.

An odd thought struck Hayner, realizing for the first time that Seifer never seemed to be the type to cook -- let alone make himself a healthy breakfast. It was enough to pull at the end of his lips in an almost smile, but he buried himself into the quilt to hide it. Seifer shoveled the finished eggs onto their plates, dropping the empty pan into the sink roughly and walking over to the refrigerator and wrenching out a small carton of orange juice. He slammed it down on the little island counter that separated the kitchen from the living room, causing the juice to slosh around inside of it.

"Come get your food." Seifer muttered, placing two identical plates down on the island. Hayner wriggled out of the quilt and shuffled over, slipping onto one of the two stools and taking hold of the fork that Seifer shoved at him. Hayner felt awkward, shifting in his seat before quietly speaking up. "What was that about, earlier?" Seifer didn't answer, taking out two glasses and putting them down in front of Hayner before walking around and sitting beside the younger blond. They didn't speak for a moment, and the Seifer shoved his fist out in front of Hayner- startling the teen.

Hayner gave Seifer an upturned palm and was surprised when he was given a handful of munny. Something warm coiled up inside of Hayner and a grin stretched across his face. He couldn't muster the courage to thank the gang leader, and instead started to shovel eggs into his mouth with an embarrassed flush rising to his formerly-cold cheeks. Seifer grunted, poured himself a glass of juice, and did the same.

The back alley just outside of Market Street was silent except for the sound of a skateboard's wheels scraping along the cobblestone ground. Hayner was subconsciously relieved that skateboarding came almost second nature to him. Because he certainly wasn't giving it his full attention the way he swerved lazily around scraps of junk that people often left lying about.

After leaving Seifer's condo not more than a half hour past having eaten, Hayner had taken the first train inland. Things between them had become awkward at school, and Seifer's attitude had turned neutral towards Hayner's existence. It sent a feeling of disappointment churning inside of Hayner's stomach like bile. Seifer - regardless of what the blond thug's claims had been - had acted only out of pity and a feeling of forced responsibility in the way he'd treated Hayner last Sunday.

Since then, Rai and Fuu would sometimes send Hayner the off-glance, but it would be nothing more than that. Hayner didn't pry. He knew Seifer's temper better than anyone else.

Hayner felt something on the right wheel of his skateboard jerk before it caught on the corner of a busted car engine that was lying about. It happened so quickly that he wasn't able to stop his fall -- cursing when his right arm caught on the corner of some scrap metal that had been beside the engine. The sound fabric ripping came first, followed up by a searing burn of sudden and forceful pain striking him. It was so brutal that a cry of distress left the blond skater before he could stop himself.

He moaned, his other hand going to grab at where the injury had occurred and feeling nothing but even more pain and a thin, sticky fluid that he instantly recognized. Looking down at the rapidly bloodying mess of his arm and then to what he'd hit, the blond realized that a nail had been sticking into the sheet metal, and the force of his fall had gashed open his arm on it. The sleeve of his green turtleneck was soaking up a good portion of the blood that gushed from the wound, and Hayner tenderly began to roll the sleeve up, hissing and wincing as the fabric brushed along his wound. He reached the crook of his elbow and bunched the rest of the sleeve there, rolling it a few times to make sure it was secure before he was satisfied.

Focusing solely on the sheer agony generated by the gash in his arm, Hayner hadn't realized his leg had been bent at an odd angle until he tried to stand -- shouting out again when his knee buckled painfully and his shoulder slammed against the wall in his sideways trip. Cursing at this stroke of bad luck, the teen hobbled over to his upside-down skateboard and kicked it back on its wheels. He hugged his arm to his chest, vainly ignoring the warm squish that his own blood made when his fingers tightened in an attempt to stop the feeling of his heavily throbbing heartbeat in every nerve of his hand and wrist.

His right leg ached with each second that he forced weight onto it. Using his left leg for balance, he pushed himself off down the alley, leaving nothing behind but splashes of red on dirty cobblestone.

Hayner knew he had nobody to rely on -- if Roxas hadn't met Axel, he was sure the blond boy would have eagerly offered his pristine white jacket to wrap his friend's injury in- but he wasn't. Pence and Olette walked home together every day, having started going out sometime over the summer, ignoring Hayner's desires to still have them act like a dynamic trio. His friends had abandoned him and Hayner had lost his skating partner to a matchstick, he had the hots for an insensitive asshole and his grandmother seemed to be getting weaker as the days wore on- they were all things that were out of his control.

Hayner's face was in a permanent cringe of pain as he unevenly glided through the Sandlot on his way to where he and the others would often meet up after school. It was closer than his house, and for once, Hayner was more than grateful of the little nook. His arm was leaving spots of blood in the sand, a sick kind of trail to Hayner's destination.

He saw Seifer sitting on one of the benches that lined the Struggle ring, watching him. Keeping his gaze forward and away from the stormy eyes that seemed to follow him as he skated past. Hayner's fingers clenched to his wounded arm just a tiny bit more. The world seemed to be muted, Rai's voice inaudible against the deafening ring in Hayner's ears and the '_dump dump_' of each beat his heart sent through his arm and knee.

Skating up the incline was difficult, and he nearly didn't make it when his knee buckled under him. He was able to catch himself before his entire body hit the ground, grabbing his skateboard and hissing at the agony that shot through the very injured arm he'd used to stop his descent. He heard Seifer call out his name from behind him, ignoring it in favor of standing and tucking his skateboard under his good arm.

Each step he made towards their spot was like being hit in the leg with a hammer, Hayner's limp too profound for the injured blonde's liking. Seifer's voice was louder- demanding of Hayner's response to hearing his name called.

Rai was the first one to reach him, grabbing Hayner's shoulder firmly enough to startle a gasp from him. Hayner jerked away, snapping at the dark-skinned boy to get away from him. Rai backed off out of pure shock, and Seifer slipped in past him, a calloused hand grabbing the crook of the shorter boy's elbow and holding him captive. Seifer's hazy blue eyes scanned over the damage, looking at how the blood slicked down from the wound and pooled over where his fingers held onto Hayner's arm. His lips pursed and pulled back into a snarl, moving his gaze to focus on Hayner- who had turned his face away in shame.

"What the **fuck** happened." It was not a question or a request, but a statement that demanded an answer. Hayner watched from the corner of his eyes as Seifer waved his two friends away, but his stormy gaze didn't stray from their concentration on the boy in his grasp.

Feeling cornered, Hayner vainly tried to pull free, an angry snarl escaping him. Displeased by this, Seifer wrenched him so close that their chests bumped harshly together.

It was hard for Hayner to ignore the way his breath seemed to escape him -- the way that his pain dulled for a mere half second that his mouth brushed up against Seifer's collarbone. It came back twice as forceful in an instant, crippling his hand with the fire of agony that struck him.

Hissing, he slammed his skateboard against Seifer's chest with such a force that it winded the blond bully. Exhaling sharply, Seifer let go of Hayner long enough to snatch the skateboard and wrench it from the other teen's hand.

"Stop messing with my head! Just leave me alone! It's better than this- this- _stuff_ you do to me!" With that, Hayner stormed off, favoring his injured leg with each step he took up the incline and towards the usual spot.

Seifer didn't move at first, standing with a blood-slicked hand and Hayner's old skateboard. Fuu came up behind him, touching her small hand to his shoulder. "Alright?" Her normally cold voice was soft, worried. Seifer wiped Hayner's blood off onto his pants, turning to look at Fuu and Rai with a pained expression. Rai sighed loudly, scratching at one of his sideburns.

"I dunno why y'keep tryin, Seifer. He's not interested y'know? Just drop him, he's a wuss anyway, y'know?" Seifer all-but shoved Hayner's skateboard into Rai's chest to silence him. Fuu withdrew a handkerchief from her pocket, wetting it with the water bottle she'd been previously holding. Satisfied, the fair-haired girl used it to clean the excess blood from Seifer's hand.

"Still hope." Was her quiet reply, and Seifer thanked the petite girl gently before nodding at her statement and retracting his hand. "Fuu's right, I know it." Though his voice was loud, there seemed to be a weakening conviction in the way he spoke. Rai mumbled unpleasantly under his breath, but didn't say anything more. Seifer inhaled softly, adjusting his beanie before Fuu gave him a rough shove to the side.

"Go. Hurt. Protect." A second shove and a water bottle being shoved into his hand later, Seifer was traipsing off after Hayner.

Hayner instantly understood why he'd had an increasing feeling of dread coiling inside of him the very second he reached the usual spot. Setzer stood outside of the entrance, his tall body leaning against the fence and thoughtfully running a thumb over the scar on his chin. Catching sight of Hayner, the Struggle Champion allowed himself a smile.

Hayner clutched to his injured arm, his eyes concentrated on the very source of all his anguish- and nearly turned back. The only thing that kept him from returning to the sandlot was knowing that he'd have to face Seifer's questioning and pity. He bit down forcefully on his lower lip, eyes flickering from Setzer's lax stance, to the flap of an old quilt that he and Pence had draped over it at the beginning of winter.

If Roxas had been there, he would have told Setzer off and taken care of Hayner on his own. If Pence and Olette were with him, they would have guided Hayner away from both of his problems and tried to comfort him. They weren't with him, though, because all three of his best friends had found things more entertaining than a scrawny blond punk who was far too competitive for his own good.

Hayner stood straight, his lips drawing into a thin line and his good hand nervously clutching to the throbbing injury that was the source of all his aggravation. Drawing in a deep breath, the blond skater strode forward with barely-concealed hesitation. His body did little more than to ghost past Setzer when the taller man's large fingers grabbed Hayner by his injured arm, wrenching it towards himself. Pain shivered down the expanse of Hayner's nerves, putting a grimace onto the boy's face -- to which he reflexively tried to pull himself free. Setzer held up the bloody appendage, eyes narrowing in a scrutinizing manner.

Hayner opened his mouth to speak when Setzer's hand shifted and his fingers slipped on the blond boy's blood, digging into the gash and tearing the skin open even further. Hayner choked on his own breath, a wheeze of a moan leaving him. His knees buckled, free hand going to grab Setzer's fingers and try to pry that agonizingly firm grip from inside of his wound.

A slow grin pulled itself across Setzer's thin mouth, eyes alight with something Hayner couldn't recognize or even begin to comprehend. Setzer's free hand rose, slipping affectionately through Hayner's gelled locks of hair until they clamped down tightly at the base of his skull, forcing Hayner's head to tilt back and look up at Setzer.

"Just like my darling Maria." Setzer murmured over the gurgling sound of pain that the child below him emitted. He pulled Hayner's arm to his mouth, lips nearly brushing against the blood-encrusted knuckles of Hayner's hand that no longer could gather enough energy to pull Setzer off of him. Chokes and a keen for air were the only noise Hayner could muster through the increasing darkness that clouded his eyes against the haze of agony that struck him. Setzer's smirking face slipped in and out of focus, a drowsy film coating Hayner's vision. He clenched his eyes shut, feeling the fingers in his right hand twitching,

The sound of his heartbeat was deafening in his ears, coupled by weakened mewls and the squelch of his own blood as Setzer withdrew his hand. A gasp escaped Hayner, slumping in relief and instantly being forced to sit up straight by the hand in his hair.

Setzer hummed gently, bloody hand moving to stroke Hayner's fair cheek. "My Maria- a fragile bird who needs its wings to be clipped first." Hayner grimaced at the sticky feeling against his face, swallowing down the burning bile that rose up from his stomach and threatened to break loose. The blond teen clenched his teeth tightly, pained wheezes escaping through his teeth before being sucked in through his nose.

Setzer quirked a single brow, red-stained hands forcing the teen to tilt his head left and right. "So submissive when in pain, it's quite the pleasurable sight to behold." He cooed, tapping Hayner twice on the chin with his thumb, eyes face lighting up at the way the blond teen flinched faintly. "It's almost amusing to see such an outspoken boy like yourself be abandoned by his supposed friends."

Hayner tried to pull his face from Setzer's grasp -- though the effort did little more than generate a series of painful wrenches to his captive blond locks. "I've seen the way the _great_ Seifer Almasy has taken pity upon your pathetic disposition." Setzer pulled on Hayner's hair again, repeating it until Hayner held back a shout of pain and shakily forced himself back to his feet. Setzer's hands moved to hold the shorter boy's arms captive, backing Hayner up against the side of the usual spot. Hayner squirmed, his eyes drooping dizzily and another noise of desperation leaving him -- his good hand shoving up against Setzer's firm chest weakly.

Setzer leaned in, brushing his lips along the shell of Hayner's ear. "I am the only one who desires your company, so give in." His left hand released Hayner's arm, drifting up to gently stoke the back of his knuckles along a faintly reddened cheek. Hayner wrenched his head away angrily.

"Get off of me, you sick bastard." He spat out, wriggling himself to loosen the grip on his bicep from Setzer's strong hold. He jerked his head forward -- almost accomplishing his attempt at head-butting the older man but was met with a laugh as Setzer leaned back and avoided Hayner's retaliation.

"Go die in a hole, _jackass!_" Hayner barked out, his legs trembling with the sheer energy it took to hold himself up. Setzer leaned forward again, free hand reaching out to grasp firmly to the blonde's wobbling chin and hold it in place. Mouth touching to Hayner's forehead in a feather light kiss, Setzer smiled.

"If I die, then your beloved Almasy will have no reason to give you that second glance that you always seem to be vying for." The clarity of Setzer's words struck Hayner instantly -- like a cube of ice dropping low into his stomach and settling there. His breath left him, and Hayner could do nothing but stare blankly at the very man that gave his life Hell.

Setzer was right-- Hayner knew his grandmother wouldn't be around much longer, that Roxas and the others were slowly leaving his life, and that it was only after their encounter at the Underground Concourse that Seifer had even bothered to grace Hayner with the time of day. However, hearing it come from the mouth of the one person he despised was like a shot to the chest, nearly rising tears in the young blonde's eyes.

Hayner dropped his head in shame, taking his lower lip between his teeth and biting viciously down on it. Setzer's lips were thin and cold against Hayner's hot forehead, leaving a chilling trail down his temple and cheek, nudging the teen's head to rise up once more and look at him. Setzer's hot breath puffed against Hayner's face, drawing a flinch from the blond boy that only increased when the fair-haired man forced his lips up against Hayner's own.

Grimacing, Hayner pursed his lips and clenched his eyes. Setzer's mouth was thin, prying and unpleasant. It was nothing like how he envisioned Seifer's kisses to be -- considering how he'd nearly been caught staring at the older boy's soft mouth more than once.

He wanted to struggle, to fight back and tell Setzer to leave him and never come back. He wanted Seifer to see him for the strong-headed, self righteous teenager that he always strived to be. Hayner hated this feeling- the headache that was becoming increasingly noticeable, the throb in his arm that had now numbed all feeling in his fingers, the trembling of his knee and the way that everything felt so much heavier than it should have been. He wanted to lift his lead-weighted arms and punch Setzer in his scarred face, to knock the cocky bastard down and tell him that nobody could touch Hayner like that without his permission.

He couldn't, however, do much more than angrily turn his head and force Setzer's mouth off of his own with a weak gasp for air.

Setzer laughed, his hands releasing Hayner and stepping away from the blond. "Until next time, little bird." He uttered, turning to walk back down the alley. Hayner's knees shook at the sudden loss of that suffocating pressure before they collapsed beneath him. He sat down heavily, back leaning against the rough brick wall behind him and his shaking hands rising up to cover his face.

Unbeknownst to the injured teen, Seifer stood just at the corner outside of the usual spot, watching Setzer approach him. His dusty gray eyes narrowed at the man, who smirked widely and clapped a hand to Seifer's broad shoulder, smearing red along the top of the blond teen's pristine white coat. Setzer moved to leave when Seifer grabbed him by the front of his coat and wrenched the man up close to himself, their noses brushing. In his other hand, the bottle of water he'd gotten from Fuu crinkled loudly.

Neither man spoke- the only sound emanating from where they stood was Seifer's heavy, angry breaths that heaved from his nose. Setzer's eyebrows rose, daring Seifer to act. The blond bully snarled quietly, upper lip curling back before shoving Setzer away and stalking forward towards where Hayner was huddled up against the wall.

Reaching the blond boy, Seifer knelt down in front of Hayner, silently taking the very arm that was cradled against the skater's heaving chest. It startled Hayner- who snapped his head up to stare at Seifer with red-rimmed eyes that were close to tears. Seifer's jaw clenched, but he said nothing, and instead pulled Hayner's injury towards himself to look at it.

The gash began just a little ways below the underarm of Hayner's wrist, leading a jagged trail downwards for nearly two inches. The edges of the laceration were red -- as if the wound had been forced wider than it should have been. Blood had bubbled up over the edges of the boy's torn skin, pooling down to the crook of his elbow and around that faintly-tanned skin in rivulets. Most of it seemed to be smeared from too much handling, and there was a large spatter of red against Hayner's green turtleneck shirt.

Seifer sighed gently, letting go of Hayner's arm -- which hovered nervously in the air -- and uncapping the water bottle. He held Hayner's arm steady by the wrist to pour the water all over the shaking teen's arm. Hayner shrieked, trying to wrench his hand back, but it was forcefully held in place by Seifer- who's mouth and eyes were set into a firm expression. Hayner's other hand tried to pull the water bottle from Seifer's grasp as the last of the water continued to splash into his wound- but Seifer snapped, "**Stop it.**" and Hayner stilled instantly.

Placing the water bottle onto the cobblestone ground of the small alley, Seifer let Hayner go and stood up, making his way to the entrance of the usual spot and disappearing behind the thick quilt. Hayner clutched to his shaking arm, teeth clenched so tightly that they made a barely audible grinding sound. Fresh blood was bubbling up out of the cleaned injury, spilling over the sides and starting the process over again before Seifer came out with what looked like one of Pence's spare shirts that the large boy had torn the arm off of. Seifer ripped it, stripping off a thick piece of fabric and kneeling down next to Hayner.

"You let him touch you again." Seifer murmured as he meticulously wrapped up the injury, his eyes never once rising to look Hayner in the face -- as if he was ashamed to be near the boy. Hayner scowled, trying to pull his arm free and having his efforts shot down by a warning pull from Seifer.

"I'm starting to think you like it when he does these things to you."

Instantly, Hayner's his leg snapped out and kicked Seifer in the chest, forcing the older boy away from him. Seifer let loose an angry shout, scrambling to his feet as Hayner tried to stand. Instantly Seifer was on him, shoving his weakened body up against the brick wall with two large hands fisted in the front of his ruined shirt.

Seifer's forehead leaned down to press against Hayner's own, his soft mouth pulled back into a snarl. Hayner could feel the fabric of Seifer's beanie pressing against the skin of his own forehead, his honey eyes connecting with faded blue and a spark of something rushing through him.

"I can take care of myself!" He barked out, his good arm rising to grab the same shoulder that had stains of red smeared across the normally white coat. Seifer sneered, picking his arms up and forcing Hayner to stand on the tips of his toes.

"A fucking coma patient could take better care of himself than you could." The blond bully growled, giving Hayner a rough shake. The shorter boy narrowed chestnut eyes in defiance -- ignoring how things seemed feel weightless -- and leaned up to push against Seifer's forehead.

"Why do you care what I do with my life? You're just some jackass who feels bad for a punk kid that can't even win a decent struggle match!" Seifer shook Hayner again- jarring the boy enough that his dizzy spell doubled tenfold.

"What the _fuck_ do you know?" Seifer barked, breathing heavily through his nose in an attempt to control his rising anger. Hayner's voice died, leaving behind a defiant glare and a loosening grip on Seifer's jacket.

There was a tense moment of silence between them before Seifer suddenly moved forward, his head tilting down. Panic struck Hayner- and without realizing he'd done it -- giving Seifer a violent shove backwards just as he felt a ghost of a touch against his mouth.

Neither boy moved, neither boy spoke. Seifer stood barely a foot from Hayner, who held a shaking hand over his mouth, watching the boy before him with a flurry of unreadable emotions. Seifer opened his mouth to speak and Hayner whirled around, running from the alley with a limp in each step.

Seifer snarled, anger and frustration coiling up in his gut before his arm shot out, cracking against the wall- shocks of pain sparking up his arm and the skin of his knuckles tearing against the rough bricks.

* * *

**(1)**  
_Kitten-chan says:_  
LOL seifer is such a moody bitch -heart-

**x.x **This is written entirely by Psycho Rooster.

**x.x** Intial plot idea goes to Random Kyuubi.

**A/N:** I must say, writing that entire scene with Setzer killed me. I seem to have a love/hate relationship with it.

On another note, the last scene between Seifer and Hayner is completely different from the original plan for it - but the end result is the same - I hope you all like it. To be honest, this is the fastest update I've ever had- especially considering its 15 pages.

This is probably one of the hardest fics I've had to work on because there is so little SeiferHayner out there that I can't read or look at other fanworks to help keep me inspired for it.

Those of you looking forward to other updates. D: don't get your hopes up. I'm having a rough time between work, school, and keeping inspiration. The exception for this fic is because a friend from deviantart, Kitten-Chan, has been drawing me a lot of little things that keep me going on this baby.


	3. x3

**Best of You**

* * *

Making it all the way home with a bad knee and a significantly low amount of blood, proved to be difficult for Hayner, as he slouched against the brick walls just outside of his and his grandmother's home. He dragged his body along the wall, trying to keep pressure off of his leg and stay focused on the goal at hand. When he was able to fumble with the latch and swing the door open, Hayner noticed his grandmother sitting patiently on the living room couch- the television playing softly and her frail hands fiddling with parts of a puzzle that happened to be spread about on the coffee table before her.

His grandmother peeked up at Hayner as the blond skater forced himself inside and shut the door closed. She stood- using the back of the couch to support herself and tutting at Hayner's unkempt appearance. It seemed to take the elderly woman a few prolonged moments to comprehend the copious amounts of blood staining her grandson- and the way his cheeks were dirty and face pulled into a grimace.

"Goodness! Hayner, what happened?" She croaked, shuffling around the couch to get to her grandchild. Hayner felt tears bubbling up in his eyes with relief at finally reaching sanctuary, holding his arm out to the frail woman.

"My skateboard wiped out and I cut my arm open, I had to walk here from the Underground and I think I hurt my knee. I'm fine- it was an accident." His grandmother swept up Hayner's arm in gentle, cold fingers and scrutinized it with pursed lips, her head shaking.

"Oh, Hayner. You know we can't afford the hospital bills for this- you need stitches." Hayner winced profoundly when her fingers poked at the tender, raw flesh of his injury, testing the swollen skin with a tut. Hayner tried to draw his arm back, but with a light smack to the back of his hand- went still.

"We're going to have to sew this up ourselves. I want you to take a nice shower- pour some antiseptic on it, and sit on the table. I'll have to find my sewing kit. This is what you get for being reckless, Hayner, because I don't have anything to numb the pain." Her grandson let loose an agonizing sigh of resigned-fate and took his arm back.

"I know, gramma." He uttered, ignoring the firm pat to his behind that she gave him for presenting his grandmother with any form of an attitude, and hobbled over to the bathroom. He entered it, shutting and locking the door before instantly shucking his pants off and moving to pull his shirt up. It was then that Hayner realized he'd have to pull the sleeve of his shirt over his injury, and groaned at the aspect of even more pain. He did it quickly- the fabric catching and pulling enough to wrench a hiss out of the blond boy's mouth. In a fit of anger, Hayner chucked his shirt at the wall, watching the pile of fabric flop uselessly to the ground.

Realizing the uselessness of his fit, Hayner allowed a long and grieving sigh to escape him. Having done such, he hobbled his way over to the shower, pulling the dull blue curtain back and flicking on the spicket. He tested the water, fumbling his way out of his boxers before stepping under the lukewarm spray and hissing as water trickled into his open wound.

Sighing in contentment at the beads of warmth striking his back, Hayner tilted his head into the shower and closed his eyes, allowing the gel in his hair to become wet and flop around his head. Using his good arm, Hayner slicked the damp locks back out of his face and turned to hold his injury underneath the shower nozzle. The sudden blinding agony that came from doing such caused the blond teen to clap a hand over his mouth and clench the fist of his bad arm. His eyes squeezed shut, hissing through his fingers and allowing the pain to wash over him just like the water did.

As the shocks of pain died down, he tenderly moved his hand from his mouth to shakily run it along the edges of the gash. His fingertips shook - each touch jarring a spark of fire. Shaking himself, Hayner grabbed the soap from its tray and rinsed himself off- taking special care to avoid his wound as much as possible before flicking the shower off and stepping out.

His grandmother knocked gently on the bathroom door as Hayner was wrapping a bath towel around his hips. "Hayner, put a towel on and wait the kitchen, we don't want you getting blood on any more good clothes."

Hayner voiced his acknowledgment, pulling a towel off of the rack and pausing in mid-motion of raising it to his hair to observe himself in the mirror.

His hair drooped down in uneven waves along his face, water droplets clinging to the blond locks for a moment before falling to the bathroom floor. The mere action made him look like some kind of washed up animal. Scowling, Hayner dropped the towel to place his hands against the soft flesh of his abdomen. They stayed there for a prolonged moment, and then slid down to rub idly at the beginning trail of curls that disappeared beneath pale blue fabric.

His scowl increased, hands wrenching from his body in disgust before he picked up the discarded cloth, rubbing at his hair angrily and throwing the towel into the laundry basket- regardless of how wet his hair still was. He opened the bathroom door, goose bumps rising instantly at the sharp contrast of their cold home versus the heated bathroom.

In that moment, Hayner regretted drying his hair so pathetically, and padded through the hallway and towards the kitchen. By the sound of it, his grandmother was shuffling around in the parlor in an attempt to find her sewing kit- which he knew she had any needle known to man. A shudder ran through Hayner, and the blond teen had to clutch protectively to his injured arm at the thought of what was to come.

Pushing open the kitchen door, he caught sight of a kettle sitting atop the stove- most likely an eventual cup of hot chocolate in a future life- and wandered over to the table to push himself onto it using his good arm. He only had a few good seconds to contemplate the events of the day as he waited with nothing to keep him company but the hum of the stove and the clock's monotonous ticking.

Seifer had never acted so... un-Seifer like. It had startled Hayner as much as it had excited him, which had proved to do nothing more but scare him into shoving the taller blond away. Their sudden intimacy was the very thing that Hayner had desired, but after an encounter with Setzer, Hayner hadn't been surprised when his body had reacted before his mind.

Seifer's breath had washed over his lips roughly, his eyes so pale of a blue that he'd felt like he was staring into the calm of a storm. It was sad that the only thing Hayner had been able to focus on in those few scant seconds before his panic had taken over all else.

The kettle hummed and Hayner pushed himself off of the table, adjusting his towel and tenderly holding his arm to his chest as he wandered over to the pot, grabbing a towel to lift it from the stove and set it aside. Using his good arm, Hayner awkwardly pulled a cup out of the cabinet and proceeded to search through the pantry for a package of instant cocoa.

In his success, Hayner was dismayed when he realized that his right had was hardly strong enough to even rip the edge of the packet to tear it open. Frustration rising, he tried again but did nothing but to irritate his already bleeding wound. Cursing, Hayner put the edge of the packet in his mouth, jerking it to rip the corner and effectively send a puff of brown smoke in his face.

Muttering under his breath, the blond skater poured the remainder of the cocoa mix into his cup and set about filling it with hot water. (And getting a good portion of the counter wet at the same time) He'd never before been aware of how important his right hand had become to him as he weakly tried to stir the cup with his left hand, spilling brown liquid all over the place and making more of a mess than anything.

After a few prolonged moments of agitated stirring, Hayner was satisfied enough to place down his spoon and bring the cup to his lips, wincing when the hot liquid burned all the way down his throat. He hissed loudly through his teeth, pulling the drink away from his mouth and shuffled over to the kitchen table as the sound of the doorbell ringing echoed through the aged house. He placed his cup gently on the table, placing his good hand on the edge and stepping on the edge of one of the chairs to hoist himself up onto the oak surface.

The action jarred his cup, chocolate sloshing over the edge and onto the table, to which Hayner reached behind him for the small basket of napkins to clean it up, his bad arm holding to the edge of his towel. Satisfied, Hayner tossed the dirty napkin into the trash bin by the door and slouched back with a smirk when it bounced off of the wall and fell in.

He glanced down at his injured arm, fingers skimming over the red and raw skin and smearing some of the fresh blood that had begun to bubble up when he'd gotten out of the shower. The kitchen door opened and Hayner glanced up, expecting to see his grandmother and freezing when his eyes landed on a blank-faced, coatless Seifer Almasy, who held Hayner's skateboard under one arm, eyes concentrated on Hayner's semi-nude and wet body. Hayner raised his injured hand up to his chest in a shielding motion, lips pursing into a scowl at the sight of his rival. Seifer's eyes suddenly jerked to the side, arm reaching out and tossing Hayner's skateboard onto the kitchen floor with a loud clatter. Hayner sat up straight, brows furrowing.

"Hey, jackass," He started with a low growl, "I bought that with my own money." Seifer raised a thin brow, stepping forward to toe Hayner's skateboard onto its wheels and edge it back by the door, one foot resting on top of it as he cleared his throat. "You left it at the sandlot, after you ran away." This statement caused the thin blond to bristle in anger, prepared to start up his own argument about the situation when his grandmother bustled into the room with a plastic box of supplies, brushing past Seifer and scooting Hayner's mug of hot chocolate out of the way to place it on the table beside her grandson.

"Have a seat, have a seat. This will take a while, I might need some help." The elderly woman croaked to Seifer, waving the large blond to one of the kitchen chairs that were placed around the perimeter of the table. She grabbed onto Hayner's arm, pulling it out to examine the wound while procuring a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide from the bin. Hayner scowled, leaning forward to mutter quietly to his grandmother. "Gramma, he can't be here!" The woman peered up at him through her spectacles, wrinkled mouth pursing and then shushing the boy loudly.

"Oh, don't give me that, Hayner. Now, hold still." Using her thumb to unscrew the cap to the peroxide and upending it slowly onto Hayner's wound before the blond boy could react. At first, nothing happened, and then the liquid began to bubble with white foam as blinding pain struck Hayner and he choked on a shout of pain, hissing and prying his hand out of his grandmother's weak grasp. He clutched to his injured arm, just below the foaming wound. Seifer hovered over Hayner, softly questioning the blond's grandmother as to what she'd just done.

"Hydrogen peroxide, it'll kill anything that might have started an infection, but it hurts something terrible." The elderly woman muttered as she pulled out a long, curved needle from the box and a thick, black spool of thread. "Hayner, we don't have any Novocain, so you'll have to try and hold still this time." She murmured to her grandson, ignoring how Hayner was doubled over his arm, ignoring Seifer's hovering form.

"You aren't seriously gonna stitch him up, are you?" The older boy inquired, giving Hayner's grandmother a wide-eyed stare. Hayner's head snapped up to level the bully with a look that clearly stated 'shut up, or die' and Seifer's mouth clicked shut.

Threading the needle, Hayner's grandmother nodded her head to the tall blond. "I don't know if you saw what happened to Hayner, but you may want to leave, this can get messy." She reached a hand out to pull Hayner's wounded arm towards herself, pulling out a dry washcloth from the bin and dabbing at the freshly bleeding wound.

"I'm fine." Seifer murmured, his voice laced with self-assertion as he pulled up the nearest chair and sat in it heavily. Hayner reached out his other arm to hold onto his grandmother's shoulder as she held the needle up to the edge of the wound, piercing the skin and threading it across, the skin tugging as she threaded it through. Hayner's hand that clutched to her shoulder turned white at the knuckles and a sound escaped the back of the boy's throat. Seifer peered over his arm to watch the woman working, though she paused after the first stitch. "Hayner, that hurts, hold onto the table." She reprimanded.

Without thinking, Seifer reached an arm out and pried Hayner's hand off of the elderly woman's shoulder, intertwining their fingers and placing his other palm on top of the boy's hand. Hayner looked like he was about to protest, mouth opening to yell at the older boy who was staring at his injury, when his grandmother began the second stitch, and he opted to clutch as tightly to Seifer's hand as possible. He caught his lower lip between his teeth, muffling a groan of pain at the sharp pain and the way his skin was tugged. He could feel the thread inside of his flesh, sliding back and forth with each stitch made and his other hand held tightly to Seifer's large palm, curling his fingers around the bully's hand and relieved to feel the action returned.

Moments dragged by, the silence filled only by the sound of Hayner's heavy breathing and groans of pain that overpowered the ticking of the kitchen clock. The hand that wasn't gripping to Hayner's, Seifer had running along the length of the lithe boy's good arm, trying to distract Hayner at least mildly. By the time they were done, and twenty two stitches had been sewn along the length of the large gash, Hayner's arm was a vivid red color, and the wounded boy had fatigue shining in his eyes more evidently than ever before. Hayner's grandmother meticulously wrapped the freshly sewn injury up in pristine white bandaging, pinning the end with a small safety clip and giving her grandson's arm a gentle pat.

Seifer didn't attempt to pry his hand out of the death grip that Hayner had on it, instead helping the smaller boy to stand up -- steadying Hayner when the skater wobbled unsteadily -- and turned to look at the boy's grandmother, who was packing up her supplies.

"Hayner, you've got to take it easy." She warned, coughing into her fist lightly and wagging a hand at her grandson. Hayner pulled his hand out of Seifer's grasp, pushing past the bully to try and make his way to the kitchen door on unsteady feet.

"Hayner, did you hear me? I swear. You've already lost enough blood; you're going to kill yourself!" The elderly woman harped, face contorted into a look of worry. Seifer stepped up behind the younger teen as Hayner leaned against the kitchen doorway and waved the other two off.

"I'm fine, gramma. I'm gonna go to bed." He murmured, pushing the door open and looking back at his grandmother with a weak smile. Exasperated, Seifer huffed loudly and muttered, "_For the love of God_," under his breath, approaching Hayner in two long strides and encircling his arms around the other boy's bare waist, lifting Hayner up and onto one shoulder.

"Where's his room?" Seifer gruffly asked Hayner's grandmother, who was trying to hide her smile behind a cough as Hayner protested loudly to Seifer's sudden rash behavior. She quickly instructed him to go up the stairs and into the second room on the left as Hayner beat weakly on Seifer's back with his good arm. Thanking the elderly woman, Seifer shifted Hayner into his arms, carrying him like a small child with Hayner's head on his shoulder. The action itself caused the towel on Hayner's waist to slide down precariously, exposing a good portion of Hayner's behind and earning a wail of dismay from the blond.

Struggling to ignore this fact, Seifer made his way up the stairs as Hayner's protests became softer and finally fell silent when his wriggling and kicking began to earn grunts of effort from the tall bully. Reaching Hayner's room, Seifer had to toe his way past piles of clothes and papers strewn about in order to make it to the bed, where he gently placed the other boy down and stood straight with a sigh of relief.

Hayner adjusted himself, hiking his towel back up his hips and reaching over the edge of the bed and grabbing the first pair of boxers he could reach. He slipped under the covers, pulling them on under his towel and looking up at the older boy with a defiant scowl. Seifer pulled his beanie off, feeling awkward under the injured blond's stare of scrutiny. Running a hand through pale blond locks, Seifer cleared his throat to speak when Hayner interrupted him. "I don't need your pity!" It was blurted out with a sudden burst of rage, obviously said without much thought put into the statement.

Something unreadable flickered across Seifer's scarred face, and he leaned forward, angrily punching Hayner in the shoulder and jarring a grunt of pain from the younger blond, who reached up to snatch Seifer's beanie away from the older teen. "Maybe you should stop thinking about yourself all the time." Seifer snapped, whirling around and leaving the room without another word. As the door snapped shut, Hayner's gut wrenched with an unrecognizable feeling, fingers twisting around the soft fabric of Seifer's hat. The skater slid down into his bed with a moan, turning on his side to curl up weakly and wish that time would simply rewind to a time where life was more simple.

-

Reaching the foot of the stairs, the sound of heavy coughing reached Seifer's ears and he walked into the living room to see Hayner's grandmother clutching to a bookshelf as coughs wracked her frail body. Anger coiling in his gut, Seifer moved to walk past her, fingers curled into fists when hesitation struck him upon reaching for the handle of the front door. Her coughs were loud, echoing painfully against the walls and causing the frustration and hurt inside of Seifer to simmer and conflict with concern for the woman's health. His resolve began to crumble and Seifer clenched his eyes shut, cursing under his breath and pulling his hand back from the doorknob, fisting it angrily.

Making his way to the woman's side, Seifer silently placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her over to a plush seat nearby. Standing back, he turned to leave again when Hayner's grandmother spoke up. "Could you please hand me that glass of water?" Her voice was a soft croak, and Seifer stopped to glance over to the table that she shakily pointed at, catching sight of a glass of ice water and leaving her to grab it. Her coughs stilled after a few moments, shakily thanking Seifer for his help and taking the proffered drink, sipping daintily.

"Your name is Seifer, right?" She asked gently, honey eyes peering up over thick glasses to watch the young blond. Seifer nodded, confusion evident in his features as to how she knew his name, but he kept his mouth shut in lieu of listening to the elderly woman speak. She looked down at her glass, contemplating her next few words. "Take care of my grandson, I'm old and I won't be around much longer, as much as Hayner denies it."

She sat back into the chair, relaxing into it with a long and pained sigh leaving her thin mouth. Seifer took a seat on the foot stool at the base of the chair, brows furrowing in concern at the woman's grimace. Shakily, Hayner's grandmother raised a hand to remove her spectacles, folding the ears and resting them on her lap.

"He's been such a rebellious child, since his parents sent him here." She shook her head slowly, thin shoulders sagging in defeat. "Sometimes I just don't know what to do with him."

Seifer leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees and hands clasping to one another as the first question to come to mind spilled forth from his lips. "Why'd they send him here?" Hayner's grandmother shook her head again, frowning heavily and letting her eyes fall shut.

"It isn't my place to say, Ha-" Whatever the woman had planned on saying was abruptly stopped when her words were engulfed by another coughing fit. Seifer quickly took the glass of water out of her hand before she spilled it all over herself, holding it up in case she needed a drink. With a wave of her thin hand, Hayner's grandmother shooed Seifer off, placing a hand over her mouth as her coughs died down.

"Goodness, I must have been holding those on all day." She gasped out when the hacking had tapered off, thanking Seifer gently for the offered glass of water and taking a sip. Her eyes fell upon the small roman clock that was sitting nearby, a hand flying to her chest.

"Oh my, its getting late!" Sitting forward, Hayner's grandmother placed her thin hand onto Seifer's knee, giving a gentle squeeze to the boy's muscular joint. "You'd better get home before nightfall. Thank you so much for your help, I know Hayner appreciated it." At this, Seifer's eyes fell to the ground, anger evident in the way his mouth pursed and then pulled back into an almost-sneer. He looked like he was about to speak, but in the end, did nothing but stand and brush himself off.

"Yeah." He grunted, "I'd better go." Having said that, the struggle fighter bid Hayner's grandmother goodbye, heavy boots loud against the wood floor as he made his way to the front door, reaching out to pick his coat off of the rack and pull it on.

"Take care, Seifer." Hayner's grandmother said, her soft statement barely heard by the blond as he left quickly, door slamming shut behind him.

* * *

The very second that Seifer reached his condo, he knew something was amiss. His door was already unlocked, a pair of large shoes sitting in the entry that were most definitely not his. Dread coiled in the struggle fighter's gut, and he trailed pale eyes over to the small living room area, mouth pulling into a grimace at the sight of his father sitting on the couch with a newspaper in hand and his socked feet propped up on the table.

Falafel Almasy was the one man in the world that Seifer had first come to hate -- though Setzer had crawled his way up on the ranks in the past few weeks -- Seifer had grown up fearing the punishment of his father's hand, and the harsh words and strict orders that often came from a mouth that was often compared to his own.

Seifer's father glanced up as his son loudly tossed his house keys onto the kitchen counter. He looked back to his newspaper, straightening it out with a clearing of his throat. "This place smells like pig shit." He muttered loudly, pale eyes glancing over his spectacles to watch his son's reaction.

"It happens." Seifer replied gruffly, bending down to unlace his boots and quickly tamping down on the anger that burned in his stomach. Falafel snorted, folding up the newspaper and tossing it onto the coffee table.

"Don't give me that shit, why is there blood all over that coat? Didn't I buy that for you?" Seifer ignored his father's inquiry in favor of kicking his boots off by the entryway. He placed a hand against the wall to support himself, moving to enter the living room.

"_Seifer."_ Falafel growled out in warning, shaking his newspaper once in warning. Seifer did little to acknowledge the man, instead reaching the coffee table and moving to pick up the disks and books that were scattered all over it. He stacked all of his mail into a pile, placing them in the corner, taking the movies and music CD's and setting them on top of the television with the rest of the small pile. His father pulled his feet off of the small table, sloppily folding the newspaper.

"Be grateful you're still in this piece of shit town, Seifer. If it was up to me, I'd have had you shipped off to military school a long time ago." He barked, rising a hand to point a stern finger at his son. Seifer's jaw tensed in anger, pursing his lips and setting a dirty bowl in the kitchen sink. Falafel leaned back into his seat, resting one arm over the back of the couch and clearing out his throat gruffly.

"You're lucky to be staying here, and not back at Radiant Garden with your mother and myself." Seifer froze, sparing his father a glance in the midst of adjusting the counter stools. His eyes narrowed, pale blue icing over with anger and hurt.

"You could care less if I lived with you or not." Falafel cleared his throat, one hand rising to scratch at the patch of blond hair that was just under his lip. He seemed to contemplate his son's words for a moment before granting Seifer with an answer. "Whatever makes your mother happy is what makes me happy." He didn't enlighten Seifer much further than that, leaving his son to growl lowly in the back of his throat while cleaning up a few stray articles of clothing that were scattered along the floor of the living room.

"So, Seifer." Falafel began again, a hand reaching up to adjust the spectacles that rested on the bridge of his straight nose. He pursed lips that were identical to Seifer's, mouth opening to continue speaking as Seifer set a pair of shoes by the front entry. "This is your senior year; do you know what you're going to do once you graduate?"

Anger rising to a near-suffocating degree, the younger Almasy chose to keep silent. Falafel's lips fell into a scowl, sitting straighter against the couch and un-crossing his legs. "Are you keeping your grades up?"

Seifer remained steadfast in his silent vow not to answer his father's questions, moving to close the blinds to his balcony after having opened them that morning. Falafel's face became one of rising fury, his mouth pursing and causing the small patch of hair beneath his lip to bristle. "Seifer Nathaniel, you answer me when I'm talking to you." The menacing growl in Falafel's voice made the blond teen's resolve begin to crumble as fear came in its place.

A sigh of defeat escaped Seifer, his shoulders sagging as he turned towards his father, not once making eye contact. "My grades are fine." He muttered, almost tempted to tag '_dad_' to the end of his sentence.

"Do you know what you're going to do when you get out of high school?" Falafel adjusted his glasses, leaning forward to snatch up the remote control and flick the television on, scowling profusely when he was instantly bombarded with loud music. Seifer stood awkwardly by the couch as his father turned the volume down, changing the channel to the news. "Well? Are you just going to stay in this piece of shit town for the rest of your life?" Falafel didn't look at his son, but his voice was using the same tone that Seifer had always heard when his father demanded answers. Frustration rose up in the blond- mostly because he still hadn't decided what he was going to do after graduation- and he threw his hands up in the air.

"I'll figure it out on my own." Seifer snapped, regretting it instantly when Falafel jerked his head to stare at the younger blond. "Excuse me?" He hissed icily, and Seifer stumbled over himself before murmuring an apology. His father seemed pleased with it, and relaxed back into the couch, returning his eyes to the news channel he'd put on.

"I see you're home late, are you even eating?" He peered over Seifer's shoulder and into the relatively-empty kitchen. "What do you spend your money on?" He sniffed in disdain, tongue darting out to wet his lips. Seifer stepped back to lean against the island counter, attempting to look as lax as he wasn't feeling with his father in the room. "Clothes, food, bills, senior stuff." He replied softly, allowing his eyes to fall shut and hide the anger that he knew was shining defiantly in them. Falafel 'hmph'ed, clearing his throat and turning the television off.

"You still have that job, right? Not selling crack on the streets, I hope." Seifer's teeth clenched again, hurt and frustration welling tenfold.

"No dad, I still work at the station."

"I'm hungry, what are you making for dinner?" Falafel instantly changed the subject, instead turning to a lighter note and inquiring his son with an expressionless smile. Seifer released an angry breath, turning around and stomping into the kitchen.

"Food." He snapped back angrily.

--

"Come on, Seifer, gimme your best shot!" Hayner barked, his voice filled with exuberant challenge. His lithe arms were stretched out, a struggle bat held defensively in his hands. Seifer, scoffing, held out what was most definitely not a struggle bat, but a thick sword, the handle more like a gun than anything.

"Bring it _on_, Chicken-Wuss." The older teen shot back, his lips curled into a near-sinister grin. Hayner, disregarding his utter lack of struggle gear and the fact that his opponent's weapon was not something under the safety regulations, lunged for his opponent. Before the blond skater could react, Seifer's gunblade sliced through the struggle bat, cutting it in half. Hayner had no time to block the sharp edge from digging into his right arm, ripping through the skin and sending shocks of pain through his nerves. With a loud thump, the base of Hayner's destroyed struggle bat fell to the ground while Hayner clutched to his injured arm.

With a distantly growing horror, Hayner observed the lack of blood in his arm, taking in the sight of bone, muscle and cartilage with a detached sort of feeling.

Quickly whipping his head up, Hayner caught a glimpse of Seifer reaching out to him. Fear paralyzed the young skater as his rival snatched up his arm. Seifer's hair was long -- a pale shade of lavender that bordered on silver. In reality Hayner should have made the connection that it was Setzer who held him captive, but no name besides Seifer's seemed to come to mind.

Hayner winced, trying to pull his wounded arm out of the bully's disturbingly strong grasp. "_Seifer!_ Stop that!" He yelped, free hand punching Seifer and his gut wrenching when the boy didn't even budge. Seifer - with Setzer's face and smile -- pulled Hayner into a strong hug. His arms were so tight that it was nearly suffocating Hayner. He moaned, unable to find the normally rebellious energy that he so often had around others.

Suddenly, Seifer's weight was crushing Hayner to the ground and a large hand was slipping into the front of his pants. Hayner bucked into the hand involuntarily, horrified that his body acted of its own accord.

Seifer -- with Setzer's body -- pressed his mouth against Hayner's own, effectively sucking the air from the blond's mouth and beginning to suffocate him. Hayner squirmed, pain flaring up in his arm as Seifer's hand - the one that wasn't in Hayner's pants - dug into his wounded arm, tearing off strips of skin as if they were thick, bloody pieces of paper. Hayner screamed into Seifer's mouth, despaired to realize that no noise actually escaped him.

He could hear someone in the background yelling his name, but it did little to stop Seifer from stroking the hardened bulge in Hayner's shorts, or to keep him from ripping more skin off of the tattered remains of Hayner's arm- of which he could no longer move his hand.

What eventually awoke the blond from the horrific scene he was being subjected to was a series of sickening thumps just outside of his room, as if something had fallen down the stairs. Hayner jolted up from where he lay on his stomach, injured arm pinned beneath his stomach and a tent in his boxers.

He ignored the splotches of blood on his bed and torso in favor of sitting up. Disregarding his erection, Hayner slipped out of bed to pull on a pair of discarded jeans that effectively hid the majority of his problem. Instantly, he trekked out of his room with bare feet padding on the wood floors. As he reached the stairs, Hayner's gut coiled in growing trepidation at the utter silence that the house had been encompassed with. Glancing to the foot of the stairs, Hayner screamed.

"**Gramma!**" He wailed, almost falling down the steps in his hurried attempt to reach the elderly woman's crumpled form. From what he could see, she was bent at an odd angle, neck twisted to the side and glasses smashed, lying a ways off. Somewhere inside of him, Hayner knew that she didn't stand a chance at being alive for much longer.

--

Leaning back, Seifer's father dabbed at his mouth with the napkin that had been provided. "Decent food, learned from your mother, of course." Seifer grunted in response, clearing off the counter and leaning over the small island to place their dishes into the sink.

Falafel gave his son a long, hard stare before his lips pursed and curled into a sickeningly fake grin that mocked the typically warm smiles that fathers gave their sons. "You obviously have nothing better to do with your life right now, be a good son and walk with me to the station?" He asked, though the question in his voice was more rhetorical than anything. Seifer scowled, hands curling into fists as he forced himself to give his father a nod.

"Course, dad." Was the shorter blond's answer, reaching a hand out to open the front door for his father and allow the man to brush past him.

"Do something about that coat, not that the scar is bad enough, but the bloodstains do little to help with that convict look you're obviously going for." Seifer's hands curled into fists and he grit his teeth to stop himself from saying anything that would earn himself a painful cuff to the head. Instead, the angered blond opted to divest himself of his trench coat and toss it to the floor before following his father out of the condo, making sure to grab his keys before he locked and shut the door with an angry slam.

By the time that Seifer got back home, night had completely fallen, and his fatigue had worsened. Kicking his shoes off, Seifer didn't bother to do much more than divest himself of his coat, falling face-first into bed with a tired grunt. He was just falling into the final moment of sleep when his cell phone began to ring. Groaning, the blond bully rolled over and snatched the device off of his night stand, opening it and holding it to his ear with a low growl of, "_What do you want, Rai?_"

_"Seifer, I think Hayner's hurt real bad, y'know? I just saw one of those ambulance things drive up to his house, they got those stretcher things out, y'know?"_ Seifer's eyes flew open and he forced himself into a sitting position.

"**What.**" He barked, demanding answers that he knew Rai wouldn't be able to provide, given that he lived at the other end of Hayner's street.

_"I dunno, Seif'. They've got a body and they're puttin it in the ambulance, y'know? Someone's gettin' in with 'em, but I can't really see nothin' from where my house is, y'know?"_ Dread coiled in Seifer's gut, and he slipped out of his bed, running a hand through thick blond hair and sighing loudly.

"Can you follow them?"

_"I'm on it, Seifer. Count on me."_ Rai confirmed, hanging up instantly in order to most likely run out into his garage and fetch his bicycle so he could at least follow the ambulance from a distance and find out which of the two hospitals that Hayner would be in. Seifer snapped his phone shut, falling back on the bed with a long breath. His face pursed into a grimace, eyes burning with the feeling of almost-tears.

**"Fuck."**

**Psycho Rooster:** Hey hey hey, I'm back again. Sorry its been so long. I got put on suicide watch about a week ago, but I realized that I don't want to die when I have so many stories that I want to write! I was in the mental ward for four days, which I was able to come up with an original story idea. Meanwhile, we've finally got a house to move into, and after I graduate on the fifth, we'll be on our way to Ft. Lauderdale.

Still, I've been put on two different types of medication, both of wihch are making me very very tired, so its hard to write for very long before I run out of energy -- both mental and physical -- so cheer me on!

The next chapter should be up in about a month, if I get that laptop that I'm supposed to get after we move. If not, have no fear, because I have this all planned out and I do intend to update it!

I might work on chapter two of Stumble, and go back and forth between that fic and this one. That may be the best way to keep from losing any motivation that I have for this story and Stumble, what say you?

Until then!

Psycho Rooster


	4. x4

Best of You

--

When Seifer's cell phone began to ring with Rai's unmistakable song, the blond shot out of bed. Disregarding the fact that it was nearly two in the morning, he snatched up the small device, flipping it open with a loud bark of, "_Where is he?_"

_"I'm fine, Seifer."_ Hayner answered, startling the pale-haired teen. The skater's voice cracked near the end, a hoarse whisper that was barely audible over the hum of activity in the background. It was obvious that Hayner was on Rai's cell phone, but Seifer couldn't help the trickle of mortification he felt at voicing his feelings so loudly over the phone.

"I --"

_"Seifer?"_ Hayner inquired softly, as if questioning whether or not it was okay to even speak. Seifer sat up in bed completely, pushing off the comforter and running his free hand through disheveled hair.

"Yeah?" It came out as more of a grunt than Seifer had intended, but he ignored it upon hearing Hayner's next question.

_"Could you come to the hospital? Please?"_ Seifer's heart seemed to leap into his throat at the realization of what he'd just been asked, instantly moving to get dressed. He was well aware that it would be a good hour before the late train came back for another pick up, something he was grateful for just to know that they did late hour trips through the cities. "Yeah, which one?"

_"It's the one by where you live; they didn't have room for gramma on the inland one."_ First disbelief and then relief became evident to Seifer as he pulled on a pair of slacks over his boxers. Ignoring the need for socks, he stuffed his feet into a pair of boots by the front door.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll be there." Hayner thanked him quietly, the phone clicking off a second later. Seifer stuffed his cell into his pocket, grabbing up black leather jacket and pulling it on over his night shirt, zipping it up to help block out the inevitable morning cold that he'd be struck with upon leaving the building.

St. Edea's Hospital was nearly a mile down the street- a little less than a fifteen minute walk for Seifer. The entire way there, the only thoughts that seemed to want to run through the blond bully's head, were memories of Hayner's weak voice over the phone, as if he'd lost the energy to live, to even care anymore.

Upon arriving and making his way to the waiting room, Seifer instantly caught sight of Hayner, clad in jeans and an oversized sweater. He was sitting beside a dozing Rai with trembling hands fiddling with the dark-skinned boy's cell phone. Something struck a chord inside of the bully, realizing that his friend had cared enough to stay with Hayner throughout the entire ordeal, and he made a mental note to buy him something to show his gratitude later on.

When Hayner finally glanced up to see Seifer standing before him, he placed Rai's cell phone on the sleeping boy's lap and stood up, fiddling his hands together awkwardly before stepping forward and doing nothing more but to drop his head onto the taller boy's collarbone with a soft _'thud'._

"I know she's not gonna make it, Seifer. She's gone." He barely mustered the last statement before his voice cracked into an almost-whimper. Awkwardly, Seifer raised a hand to place it onto a thinly muscled shoulder, squeezing it to provide comfort for the boy. He wasn't sure how Hayner would react- given that the boy was prone to fits of irrationality - but he lifted his other arm, sliding them across a shaking back and tugging Hayner flush against his chest, making sure to take in calm and deep breaths in hopes of soothing the younger boy.

Hayner must have called Seifer of his own volition, given that Rai was still fast asleep and his cell phone had been in the skater's possession.

Sighing gently, Seifer used his hold on Hayner to turn the boy around and guide him back to his seat, choosing to occupy the place next to him that wasn't occupied by Rai.

"My parents kicked me out; my Gramma was the only one who'd take me in." Hayner uttered, putting his hands into his lap and fidgeting with them. Seifer's eyes followed the action, his curiosity piqued.

"I mean, I know that grandparents are supposed to be the old fashioned ones, but when I told my dad that... that I might not like girls **that** much... he went crazy. My gramma actually understood me, though." As Seifer listened, he slipped an arm across the boy's shoulders to rub circles along Hayner's bicep in a hopefully soothing manner. He wasn't sure how to act- repeating things he'd seen people do on television and in other situations of comfort; they maintained more physical contact and listened to the hurt person talk.

"You are the **worst**, though. You're a conceited _asshole_ and you're just so _**mean**_ that I can't understand why you'd give a shit about anyone else outside of your little clique." Seifer would have been impressed by Hayner's extensive burst of vocabulary, had he not been a bit put out by the painfully truthful statements that had escaped the disheartened blond.

A sigh escaped Hayner and he leaned to the side to drop his head onto Seifer's shoulder. "I dunno, man. I can't even think right now." He groaned, cheek pressing heavily into the muscular appendage. Seifer grunted to acknowledge the boy's confession, embarrassed at his inability to properly help in any way other than the occasional touch of comfort.

Hayner's breathing soon evened out with the onset of sleep, his chestnut eyes disappearing under dark blond lashes, mouth pursed in a concerned pout before evening out into a semi-relaxed state of slumber.

Seifer allowed his head to lean to the side, resting on the top of Hayner's and taking note of the lack of hair-gel, his normally hard and spiked locks actually soft and almost-silken. He shut his eyes, sighing quietly.

"Hayner Rhodes?" Hayner jerked his head up, hissing when it connected sharply with Seifer's jaw, though he didn't apologize at the look of pain that flashed across the other boy's face. The nurse before them gave both teens and odd look, but didn't elaborate on it as the next words left her.

"I'm sorry; there was nothing we could do. We'll contact your parents to tell them the news." She murmured, fingers holding tightly to her clipboard as if it would shield her from any hysterics that might decide to leave the boy. Instead, Hayner groaned lowly and covered his face with both hands, sliding down into his chair with defeat.

"I _knew_ it." He breathed.

The nurse ducked her head, apologizing once more and scurrying off, most likely to place the call to Hayner's mother and father. Seifer stood, reaching a hand out to help Hayner to his feet before leaning forward and giving Rai's knee a rough shake. "Hey Rai, you good to go home? You want me to call Fuu?" Grunting, the dark-skinned boy waved Seifer off and mumbled something about having it under control. Seifer nodded, his hand moving to clasp Rai's own and lift his friend out of his seat.

Clapping his hand against his companion's back in gratitude, Seifer bid Rai farewell, Hayner standing patiently behind him. As Rai flipped open his phone to call his girlfriend, Seifer turned to see Hayner waiting for him. Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Seifer walked up beside the boy. "What's wrong?" He asked gruffly, lips pursed in worry.

Hayner wrung his hands together. "I -- " He cut himself off, contemplating his words. "Can I... stay with you... tonight?" Seifer nodded roughly, accepting the shorter boy's need for attention and not an empty house. He motioned for Hayner to follow him as they made their way out of the waiting room. From what he understood, Hayner's parents would be the ones in control of what was going on with the blond's grandmother and her death.

The walk to Seifer's condo was filled with silence. When Seifer attempted conversation, Hayner's responses were short and curt, leaving things to fall short of an actual discussion. By the time they reached Seifer's condo, it was nearing three in the morning, and Seifer's body was wracked with shivers of cold and fatigue.

Seifer shut the door soundly behind himself, barely getting the chance to turn around before Hayner had a hand gently pressed to his chest, the blond teen leaning onto the tips of his toes as his mouth touched Seifer's. They stayed like that for a scant few seconds until Hayner's lips parted fractionally and he pulled back to kiss Seifer again, this time a tad more forcefully.

In the few seconds that it took for Seifer to comprehend what was happening, Hayner had stepped away, lower lip tucked between his teeth and a look of regret shining in chestnut eyes. Decision made, Seifer stepped forward, dropped his keys, and pulled Hayner up against himself. He ducked his head down to eagerly push his lips against the shorter boy's own. Hayner arched his head into Seifer's, their kisses becoming more frantic as they stumbled back against the wall, Hayner's body crushed between Seifer's and the hard surface behind him.

Things began to get more heated until a groan escaped Hayner, sending a tingling sensation over Seifer's lips and a relation that Hayner was still in distress about his grandmother. Reluctantly, Seifer withdrew his hands and stepped back from Hayner, arms extended out to stop any advance that the shorter teen might have planned on making.

"Wait- Hayner - you're not thinking straight right now."

"I don't think either of us is thinking very _straight_, Seifer." Hayner replied, his hand darting between Seifer's outstretched arms to grab onto the lapel of the taller boy's jacket to tug him forward.

Seifer did little to stop the sudden burst of strength from Hayner, their lips smashing together again, teeth clicking painfully as Hayner seemed to put all he had into the kiss, tongue flickering out to run along the roof of Seifer's mouth. Heart stopping in his chest, Seifer had to ignore the way his body seemed to heat up, things in him stirring and awakening a fire of sudden passion. Their lips smacked loudly when Seifer pushed Hayner away.

"Stop it." He barked, regretting it the instant he saw a flash of hurt flickering in chestnut eyes. He continued, regardless. "I'm _not_ taking advantage of some crybaby because his grandmother died. I don't need your pity. If you're going to kiss me, do it when you mean it."

Hayner's mouth opened, as if he was prepared to protest, but instead he shut it with a loud click of his teeth, the muscles in his jaw flexing angrily. Seifer pushed the shorter boy back, forcing him towards his room.

"It's late, are-tard." He barked, shoving Hayner onto his previously made bed and going to fetch the same slacks that the blond skater had worn the previous time he'd spent the night. Hayner moved to stand up again, probably to protest Seifer's sudden bout of hospitality, but dropped back onto the bed when he was hit in the face with a pair of familiar pants.

"We're sharing the bed; I don't trust you alone tonight." Seifer's statement was in a cold voice- one that made it obvious he wouldn't accept any form of a protest.

Hayner dropped his head to look at the pants as Seifer left the room to allow Hayner some brief privacy in order to change.

Standing, Hayner did so quickly, tying off the drawstring just as Seifer gave a sharp rap on the door and opened it. He was sans boots and jacket by now, eyes warily following Hayner as the boy slipped into his bed, making sure to stay on the very edge, comforter pulled up to his shoulder.

Seifer's bare feet padded across the room, the bed dipping as he slipped in on the other side.

"Sleep." Seifer said, his body exhaling heavily as he pressed his face against the pillow, lying with his back to the shorter boy's. Hayner murmured a gentle and barely audible '_night._' before allowing the room to fall into a bout of silence.

Moments ticked by, Seifer's breathing evening out until it was obvious that he was in the realms of slumber. Hayner shifted uncomfortably, turning around until he was facing the larger teen's back. Hesitating, Hayner scooted forward so that his forehead rested against the contours of muscles that lined Seifer's shoulders. Eyes falling shut; Hayner breathed out a half-yawn and succumbed to his fatigue.

The entire room was filled with a silence so stifling that most of the lawyers surrounding Hayner were adjusting their ties uncomfortably every now and then. Hayner himself was seated to the right of his chosen witnesses -- Roxas and his parents -- Setzer on his left and his own mother and father across from them. At the end of the table, the Mayor of their small town cleared his throat, adjusting and smoothing out the paper that was clasped in his hands before speaking.

"Now that the will of Iris Harriman has been read to the following witness, custody of Hayner Rhodes will be given back to his pa-"

"He will not." Hayner's father interrupted, his voice cutting through the room icily, a hand wrapped around his wife's shoulders and his gaze concentrated on the Mayor's startled face. Hayner jerked his head up to stare at his father with a look of despair and hurt, though he said nothing.

The Mayor adjusted his glasses, paper crinkling in his hands. "Excuse me?" He asked gently. Hayner's father continued to look anywhere but at his own son. Hayner felt Roxas slip a hand over, placing it onto his knee in a comforting move.

"We told that disgrace that he was never allowed to set foot in our home again, and we stand by that." Something shot through Hayner like ice, coiling in his gut and heating his insides just as rapidly as they'd been frozen a mere half-second earlier.

He couldn't stop the croak in his voice as he meekly called out to his father."But_ Dad--_" Anything else he planned on saying was shot down by the dark green eyes that stared at him with hatred.

"I am not your father." His father barked, ignoring how his wife seemed to be bordering on tears, a hand covering her mouth and her head turned into his husband's chest. "My son is dead." Having heard that, Hayner's chin began to wobble dangerously, his eyes and nose burning with a pre-tears sensation. He bit down strongly on his lower lip as Roxas slid a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"You're terrible parents!" The blond boy exclaimed, using his other hand to pull Hayner's face into his shoulder and hide the boy from the unwelcome stares of the entire room. His statement was met with a loud sob from Hayner's mother, which grew into a series of body-wracking cries from the woman. Hayner's father held tightly to his wife, while Roxas' parents tried to silence their son.

"We did our best to raise a good, strong son!" Hayner's father defended himself strongly, his lips pulled back into a snarl as they continued to speak. "Not this -- abomination!" Though Hayner knew very well why he'd been thrown out of the house in the first place, it burned every nerve in his body for the man to speak the same hateful words he had in the previous years to a room full of strangers and friends alike. An odd and inhuman keen tore from the back of Hayner's throat, and he picked his head up from Roxas' shoulder to look at his mother, whose hands were covering her face.

"M-mom?" She turned her sobbing form away from her son, burying it into her husband's chest. He knew she'd never stand up to his father, but it hurt to know that she'd give up her only child because of the views of her spouse. Something broke inside of Hayner, and he clutched to Roxas' hands that held his own.

A few seconds ticked by until the mayor cleared his throat again, this time to gather the attention of the room from the previous drama.

"Is there anyone in this room who is willing to take temporary custody of Hayner until his sixteenth birthday?" Roxas made a noise, as if he was going to speak up and offer Hayner a home, but he was interrupted by his own mother.

"Roxas, you know we can barely afford things as they are!" She hissed into her son's ear. Roxas, face contorted into one of desperation, protested. "But mom- "

Setzer leaned forward in his chair, the creaking of old springs interrupting Roxas' train of thought.

"I believe that I can take care of the boy for a few months." Horror became evident in Hayner's face, turning to look at Roxas with an expression that clearly begged for some form of assistance from his companion. Roxas mirrored the look to his own parents, but they did little to help.

"Well, Hayner?" He looked up to the Mayor, who seemed impressed by Setzer's generous offer. "Which would you prefer?" Confusion struck the boy for the two seconds in which the mayor paused before explaining. "Stay at Setzer's, or be sent to a temporary foster home?" The only sound that seemed to escape the blond boy's mouth was a series of confused squeaks, to which Roxas wriggled a hand out of his tight grasp to rub at the boy's back in a reassuring manner.

The mayor seemed to take in the boy's indecision, placing the paper down and sighing loudly. "How about we meet again in a week? In the meantime, we can assign a social worker to watch over you." Though the mayor made things sound simple, he knew that the majority of his decision time was just an excuse for Hayner to be able to pack up his grandmother's house without interference. Roxas' hand continued to run up and down his back, the blond leaning forward and muttering, "It'll be okay, Hayner." into his friend's ear.

The next few days were filled with a series of events that Hayner hadn't expected to foresee. Avoiding two boys he'd never met before that continually made allusions to Seifer (as they struck the windows of his grandmother's home with a baseball bat) was already beginning to wear on him. Hayner had called the police twice already, but nothing had been done to stop the two teenagers. They stalked him on the streets, throwing rocks at the back of his head and even going so far as to almost break his leg after hitting the back of his knee with the same baseball bat that had probably been used to destroy his windows.

Setzer had come to his house every night to talk Hayner into agreeing to his offer, bribing Hayner with sanctuary and financial security that he'd never really had with his grandmother. Each time, Setzer's words started to sound more and more appealing to the blond skater.

On the last day before his decision was to be made, Hayner found himself sitting on one of the many benches that lined the outskirts of the Sandlot, his struggle bat at his feet and head turned skywards, watching the clouds with a melancholy expression. He was bundled up in a loose camouflage jacket with a matching set of pants, normally gelled hair falling down the sides of his head in soft tufts.

That was how Seifer and his group of friends found him a half hour later, expression conveying one of surprise at the sight of the blond boy who'd so suddenly become reclusive.

Wary, Seifer walked past the shorter boy and over to the score board, shrugging off the Struggle gear that he'd been carrying in a net bag. Rai squatted down next to the bag as ViVi ran up to them, his small arms clutching to three struggle bats, a grocery bag hanging from the crook of his arm- most likely filled with the group's lunches. Fuu took the bats from the child, placing them next to the bag of gear. Hayner stood, grabbing his struggle bat and walking over to the group until he stopped next to Seifer, bat drawn.

"Fight me." He said softly, though it was barely audible over Vivi and Rai's loud and happy chatter. Seifer, with a bat in hand and chest plate in the other, gave the boy an incredulous and confused look. When Hayner didn't get an abrupt answer, he lunged forward, swinging the padded weapon in an arc and almost bringing it down on the boy's neck, had Seifer not dropped the gear he'd been holding to block the attack with his own bat. A worried scowl was evident on the young bully's face, and judging from the way that each block he made seemed to be only that -- no force behind them, he didn't intend to fight back.

Hayner's voice was a deep snarl as he swung his bat up in a violent arc, wincing at the shocks of pain that ricocheted through his injured arm when Seifer blocked it with two hands holding to his bat. "_Stop it!_" He snapped furiously, startling Seifer into taking a hit to the cheek with the tip of Hayner's weapon. "Fight me for real!" Seifer ducked another swing to the head, batting away the attempted hit with the hilt of his padded sword.

Vivi watched from the sidelines with wide, childish eyes as his idol did nothing more than be batted around by the very kid he'd been told was a wuss and a weakling. Noticing this, Rai pushed the child back a step and moved to stop Hayner, dismayed when Fuu grabbed the back of his shirt, head shaking and her hair flopping around from the movement. Rai scowled, listening to the sounds of Seifer and Hayner fighting in front of them, gaze concentrated on his girlfriend.

"But Fuu-"

"Leave them." Fuu barked, pulling Rai back next to herself before grabbing Vivi's hand and leading the boy away from the battle, intending to give the two teens a chance to work out their frustrations that had been rising for the past month.

Seifer's gut burned with frustration as Hayner lunged with another attack. He wasn't going to be used as some outlet for whatever anger and hurt that Hayner was feeling. It made him feel used -- something he hadn't experienced in a long amount of time. "Fucking wuss!" Seifer barked, bat whipping out and cracking so heavily against Hayner's own that it went clattering off to the side, leaving Hayner defenseless. Realizing this, Hayner clenched and unclenched his newly bare hands before a shout of rage escaped him and he leapt at Seifer.

Instead of allowing Hayner to tackle him to the ground, Seifer stretched his arms out and caught the boy, pulling him into a fierce hug that restricted the blond's movements. Hayner breathed in heavily, arms winding around Seifer and a keen escaping them, fingers clawing at the white trench coat as his knees buckled. Lowering the both of them to the ground, Seifer's left hand held steadfast to Hayner's back, the other one rubbing up and down in soothing circles.

The scraping of a skateboard's wheels came from the other end of the sandlot, but Seifer paid no mind to it, listening to Hayner squeak out half-sobs and try to muffle them into the blond bully's shoulder.

"Hey, jerk! Let him go!" Roxas' voice broke out over their quiet moment. Hayner stiffened in Seifer's arms, one hand pulling away from where it grasped to Seifer in order to wipe the back of arm under his nose and then onto the leg of his pants. Roxas stomped up to them, skateboard under his arm as his red-haired companion started to jog over. "Don't touch him!"

Seifer sneered. "Shut it, Blondie. Learn to mind your own business." Hayner's hand slammed against Seifer's chest, shoving him back to reveal puffy eyes and a red nose. With a quivering lower lip, he turned to look at Roxas and then back to Seifer.

"Both of you shut up!" He snapped, shakily pushing himself to his feet. The fatigue in his eyes was evident, even as he spoke. "I'm so _tired_ of this crap!" With that, he whirled around and stomped off. Seifer moved to stand up, pausing half way as Hayner jerked his head back. "Don't follow me- or- or I'll hate you forever!"

"You!" The roar from Roxas was barely registered by Seifer when he turned to be met by the short boy's fist smashing into his nose. Pain shot through his entire face, and he was mildly worried that the appendage was broken when Roxas punched him in the cheek before he could even raise a hand to cover his nose.

Disoriented, Seifer swung at Roxas, barely missing when the skater ducked under the attack, diving headfirst into Seifer's stomach and tackling him to the ground. Seifer took the advantage, flipping them over and pulling his fist back to sock Roxas in the nose- the same effect happening as blood gushed heavily from the boy's nose and a scream of pain ripped from his mouth.

Satisfaction came instantly, until Roxas' fist hit his groin and white flashed before Seifer's vision, body falling to the side and his hands going to cup the very objects that had been so brutally assaulted. Roxas kicked at his stomach and Seifer grabbed the offending foot.

Retaliating quickly, Roxas leaned forward and grabbed Seifer's hair- the blond hadn't worn his beanie since he'd left it at Hayner's - and cracked his head into the pavement. It was at that time that Roxas' red-haired friend decided to stop them both by taking Roxas by the stomach and lifting him to prevent any type of escape.

"Sorry about Roxie, pal. He doesn't always think things through." The man apologized, carrying his companion back and leaving Seifer to lie with his face in a growing puddle of blood that came from his nose and forehead.

"Axel! He's the one who's hurting Hayner, I know it!" Roxas roared, kicking and struggling to get back to pummeling Seifer to a pulp. Grimacing and blinking blood out of his eyes, Seifer sat up, his voice stopping the redhead's departure with Roxas.

"If you stopped shoving your tongue down Red's throat for five minutes, maybe you'd see that if anyone is hurting the chickenwuss, it's _you._" Having said that, Seifer used the back of his arm to wipe off some of the blood that was getting into his mouth, pushing himself into a stand. Roxas snarled, making clawing motions over Axel's shoulder, letting Seifer know that he'd strangle the bully the second he had the chance.

Seifer scoffed, spitting out a mouthful of blood and turning to head off towards Hayner's house- regardless of what the blond had previously threatened.

Walking to Hayner's home was one of the most suffocating and anticipation-filled tasks that Seifer had ever succeeded in accomplishing. Each step he took seemed laced with hesitation and a desire to turn around and return to the sandlot to play a practice match with Rai. By the time he reached the old red door with a plethora of potted ferns surrounding the entry, his hands were shaking with anxiety to ring the doorbell.

His stomach plummeted when the door opened to reveal a scarred face, violet eyes and long, pale hair. Setzer quirked a brow, peering at the blond bully and taking in the sight of him with disdain. "Can I help you?" He questioned smoothly, hand holding to the knob and the other one resting on the frame of the door, effectively blocking Seifer's entry.

"Where's Hayner?" A demand more than an inquiry, Seifer stepped up closer to Setzer, showing that he wasn't going to back down from the older man. Setzer, whose face bore a sudden look of amusement, stepped aside slowly. Seifer didn't hesitate to shove past him, stomping his way up the stairs and to Hayner's room.

His fingers grabbed at the handle, cursing softly when it didn't budge but a fraction -- locked. Other hand curling into a fist, Seifer jiggled the doorknob while knocking loudly on the door. "Open the door, Hayner!" He barked, believing that if Hayner knew who was on the other side, he'd eagerly allow Seifer in the room. His wishes were to no avail, because Hayner didn't even release a single sound in reply to the struggle fighter's demand. Seifer repeated his knocking, knuckles rapping loudly on the old wood, muscles tense with worry.

A hand clasped onto his shoulder, fingers digging into the fabric of his white trench coat. Pausing in his knocking, Seifer turned to see Setzer watching him with a deep scowl set on his faintly marred face.

"I think you should go." He spoke quietly, authority in his voice. Seifer's lips pursed, turning to the door.

"So that's how it is? You'd rather be with him, huh? Well fuck you too." Barking out the harsh accusation, Seifer whirled around, using one arm to shove Setzer back violently and make his way down the stairs, boots stomping all the way down before he opened the front door and slammed it shut. Upon hearing the front door bang closed, Setzer no longer held back the tiniest smirk on his face, head shaking in exasperation before he withdrew a small key from his coat. Without hesitation, Setzer unlocked the door to Hayner's bedroom, revealing the blond curled up in his bed, body shaking wildly with tremors. Sitting down on the edge of the bed and ignoring how the dip of the mattress jarred Hayner's body, Setzer reached out the back of his hand to stroke it along Hayner's cheek.

Flinching, Hayner turned his head from Setzer. "You're not going to get away with this." He murmured, blanket clutched in shaking fingers. Setzer cooed, pale hair falling over his shoulder as he leaned forward to place a kiss onto Hayner's temple.

"Go to sleep, Maria."

He left, and Hayner came to the horrifying realization that there was a crevice beneath rock bottom that he'd become stuck in with only a pair of sneakers and a roll of twine.

**--x--**

ASIORGJASRLIGKJVADRIOGJADLSKRGJAODRIGJADKVJASDIRGJA

this chapter sucks hardcore.  
feedback plz to be.  
I need love.  
seifhayner fics and art plz plz?  
they can be graduation presents?


	5. x5

.5.

Hayner stared down at his oatmeal in disdain, stirring it around with a spoon before lifting the mush and allowing it to slop back into his bowl. He repeated the process as footsteps thudded down the stairs. Setzer burst into Hayner's kitchen, fastening his tie and heading straight for the coffee pot - as he had done every day for the past month. Pouring himself a mug of of the caffeinated drink, Setzer took a sip and winced at its heat. He approached Hayner, leaning down and giving the blond a peck on the cheek.

"I'll lock the door, make sure no one comes in. You know the rules." The half-threat was singsonged as Setzer ghosted out of the kitchen. His footsteps retreated and the front door slammed shut. Hayner stuffed a spoonful of sugared oatmeal into his mouth, taking the bowl with him as he stood and left the kitchen -- out of sight from any member of Setzer's gang of adolescents who might have been watching him. He plopped on the couch in his grandmother's den, putting the bowl of oatmeal on the coffee table and lying down. With a sigh, Hayner turned his head into a musty pillow and inhaled the scent. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, but the blond willed them away.

Two months ago, his life had been so much simpler. His grandmother had been alive, Seifer and he had been genuinely ambivalent towards one another, Setzer was still a creep- but kept his distance, and Hayner was in control of his life. Now he was under house arrest and could barely hold on to the last memories of his grandmother as Setzer used the entire house as a bargaining device to keep Hayner from leaving while in his custody. Setzer's willingness to take Hayner under his wing had been the only reason the town hadn't repossessed Hayner's grandmother's house.

Hayner breathed in his grandmother's scent from the pillow, rolling onto his side to face the back of the couch and curl himself into the closest thing he had to her embrace. Grappling for the old shawl that was draped on the edge of the worn seating, Hayner pulled it down and covered himself with it. Fatigue pulled at him until Hayner finally succumbed into falling back asleep.

He dreamt of an Angel on skates, flying through the streets of Twilight Town on invisible wings, of a Devil with a broken heart sealed in iron, yelling orders to an invisible hoard. Hayner continued to sleep as his subconscious told him the story of a boy who wanted to be a man, to win the broken heart of the Devil and the respect of the Angel with invisible wings.

He was torn from his dream when a loud knock sounded through the house. Hayner nearly tumbled off the couch as he jerked awake. He grunted, placing a hand against the coffee table to help hoist himself up, rolling off of his grandmother's couch and standing. Abandoning his oatmeal, Hayner shuffled out of the den and to the front door. The house was old enough that there was no peep hole, and Hayner prayed to the gods that it was either the Mayor or some sort of solicitor. He couldn't stand to turn Roxas away for the third time that week.

Opening the door, Hayner's heart dropped into his gut. "Seifer! What are you -- mmmph!" A large hand clasped over his mouth, hustling him inside as Seifer stepped over the threshold and into Hayner's house. Hayner shoved at the older boy, punching Seifer in the sternum and earning a pained grunt for his efforts. Seifer pulled his hand back suddenly as Hayner licked at his palm, disgust on his face. In any other situation, Hayner would have been smirking in self-satisfaction, but he scowled instead.

"Do you have any idea what's wrong here? I'm being watched, genius!" Hayner moved to punch Seifer in the shoulder, only to have his fist caught. Seifer snarled, opening his mouth to retort before he was interrupted by another fist flying into his cheek. Surprised at the left-handed shot, Seifer released Hayner's captive fist. Hayner glanced over Seifer, taking note that he was still without his beanie- probably because it was sitting on Hayner's bed as they spoke.

"You seriously need to leave right now." Hayner hissed, pointing to the still-open door. Ignoring the ache in his cheek, Seifer reached for the handle and gave Hayner a defiant stare as he pushed the door shut, enclosing them in the dim light of the entryway.

"No. None of us have seen you outside of school in weeks." There was no argument in his firm voice. Hayner tensed, ready to protest, but deflated soon enough, his shoulders sagging in defeat before the battle had really even begun. Seifer's eyebrows shot up into his hairline at this, looking like he wanted to say something but keeping silent in the end.

"Follow me." He sighed, motioning with a limp hand to Seifer. The older boy grunted in acknowledgement, his heavy footsteps clunking behind the soft patter of Hayner's bare feet. They went up the stairs, though each step the shorter boy seemed to take with great pain, until reaching Hayner's room. He opened the door, motioning for Seifer to enter first.

Seifer slipped past Hayner, observing the disaster area that was Hayner's room. What had once been a neat and organized bedroom was a haphazard mess of clothes, dishes and school papers. Hayner's desk had been been shoved to the side, his trashbin knocked over and desk chair tossed awkwardly to some random corner. The bed was unmade, homework and clothing in a pile on and around it.

Seifer crinkled his nose for a moment, looking around but keeping silent. Hayner said nothing about the clutter, setting up his gamestation and digging two controllers out of the disaster of clothes and paper. He handed one to Seifer, who took it with a grunt while Hayner toed the power button to his gamestation. They both sat on the bed while the opening sequence for Fatal Struggle began to play. Seifer grinned halfheartedly at the screen, elbowing Hayner.

"Five hundred munny says I win."

Hayner shot his head up to stare at Seifer before grinning in challenge. "You're on, dickweed." He started up the game. The sounds of exaggerated battle echoed through the room for over two hours before the front door opened downstairs and Hayner jolted to his feet. He wrenched Seifer's controller out of his hands and stashed it beneath the rumpled comforter. Seifer didn't protest, instead standing and looking particularly indecisive between getting violent or hiding out of sight.

Hayner motioned with a frantic hand to the bed and Seifer dove down, rolling underneath as Setzer's footsteps thunked on the stairs. Hayner kicked a pile of clothing in the way, hiding Seifer from view and jumping on the bed. Seifer's head smacked against the floor, tearing a pained noise from the Struggle fighter. Hayner snatched up the controller just as Setzer opened the door to his bedroom.

"Hello Hayner." Setzer began, stepping inside of the room. Hayner grunted, mashing buttons on his game controller. Setzer gave the room a cursory glance, looking behind the door and then shutting it. "I was told you have company, Hayner. Do you mind telling me where your guest is?" Hayner was silent for a moment, playing his game and hoping Setzer didn't notice that it was set to two player.

"A solicitor came to the door a while ago, but I sent him away." The youth said, opening the start menu to change characters for a new game against a CPU. A quiet laugh escaped Setzer as the man crossed the room to Hayner's closet, opening it and peering in.

"I didn't realize you considered Seifer a solicitor, but I'll humor you." Hayner's heart froze in his chest as Setzer shut the closet door. He was panicking -- though there wasn't a single change in his demeanor while playing his videogame. Setzer approached the bed, settling down beside Hayner and reaching out to take a hand in his grasp, petting it gently. Hayner kept his eyes focused on the television screen, trying to play with one hand.

"You know... Maria used to act like this too." Setzer began, stroking Hayner's knuckles. "I won't let you end up like her, though. Silly thing just got ahold of some medication that she shouldn't have." He patted the sensitive flesh of Hayner's still-healing arm, the thick and unsightly scar. The action itself made Hayner squirm, almost tempted to pause his game to tell Setzer to back off. Setzer sighed listlessly, fingers scraping the lining of the scar. "But, I made sure you'll be nice and safe here."

He leaned forward, thin lips pressing against Hayner's warm cheek and chilling the boy's entire face in an instant. Whether it was from Setzer's cool skin or just sheer dread, Hayner wasn't sure. He leaned out of Sezter's space and shouted when the controller was wrenched from his hand and thrown to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Sweetheart, I'm talking to you." Setzer cooed, his hands grabbing to the boy's face and forcing him to look Setzer in the eyes. Hayner winced, and Setzer took this as initiative to kiss him on the corner of his mouth. A pained expression crossed Hayner's face, contorting into a look of disdain. Setzer didn't seem to care for his reaction, because the next thing Hayner knew, he was being driven back onto the bed with Setzer crawling halfway on top of him.

"Wh-What the heck are you doing?" Hayner stammered, eyes wide with a fear that shook him to the core. Setzer grinned, trying to still Hayner's flailing limbs. "Now now, its not my fault I've got to bait your little friend." He leaned forward, mouth brushing against Hayner's earlobe before biting down on the tender flesh and suckling it. Setzer released the lobe to whisper harshly into Hayner's ear, "Make some noise for me, Maria?"

Hayner turned away from Setzer, gasping for breath and trying to get out from underneath the man. "You're squashing me!" He groaned out, but Setzer refused to budge. Hayner cursed under his breath and the bed gave a loud creak. In an instant, Setzer's hand was clapped over Hayner's mouth, filling the room with silence.

The bed squeaked again.

Setzer turned to Hayner with a sigh, removing his hand as the boy took in gulps of air. "Perhaps we should get you a new bed. This loud old thing is getting quite bothersome." Humming to himself, Setzer kissed his way down Hayner's neck, licking at the boy's wobbling Adam's apple. Hayner wriggled a hand out from where it had gotten pinned between their bodies and pushed Setzer back by the shoulder. His efforts were to no avail, only pulling an annoyed noise from the man. Setzer grabbed Hayner's wrist, twisting it and pushing it back until Hayner was kicking his legs to stop Sezter. "O-ow ow ow --- stop it, please! You're hurting me!"

Setzer grinned. "Not enough, it seems." He tightened his grasp on Hayner's wrist, shifting himself so that he could stroke the blond's cheek with his free hand. Hayner jerked his head away from Setzer's cold fingers, disgust evident through his pain. Setzer pinched Hayner's cheek, twisting the skater's wrist painfully hard and tearing a whimper from Hayner.

"Now, come on." Setzer began, leaning forward to peck Hayner's grimacing mouth. "We all know the Great Seifer Almasy has nothing but pity in your honor." He spoke Seifer's name loudly, glancing around the room with each syllable, words dripping with disdain. Setzer returned his cool gaze to Hayner, peering down at him with a softened smile. "When will you learn?" He reprimanded gently, as if Hayner was a small child who'd been caught stealing cookies. Teeth grinding, Hayner kicked his legs out, heel connecting with Setzer's thigh. Setzer wrenched Hayner's hand back hard enough that the blond swore he could feel his bones strain.

"Cry for me, little bird?" Setzer cooed, watching Hayner lean into the touch to alleviate some of the pain. Tears gathering in his eyes, Hayner shook his head furiously. He mouthed something that looked dangerously close to 'fuck off.', but Setzer was too busy leaning forward to kiss him again. His tongue darted forth to slide along Hayner's mouth, forcing its way past his lips and before it was stopped by clenched teeth. Hayner sucked in a breath through his nose, wriggling his body and kneeing Setzer in the hip. Setzer, obviously displeased by this, pulled back and rose his hand in the air. Hayner flinched before the hand even came into contact with a slap, throwing the boy's head to the side. Hayner heard something shift under the bed as he shouted out in pain, one hand flying up to cradle his face.

Setzer moved to kiss Hayner again, grunting when a wiry leg shot out and kicked him in the gut. He fell back, clutching his stomach and coughing. The shuffling under the bed got louder and Hayner panicked as Setzer's hand wrapped around his wrist.

"STOP," he yelped. The shuffling stopped and Setzer's gaze trailed down to the bed and back up to Hayner. His grip tightened on Hayner's wrist and the blond's heart froze in his chest when he was suddenly wrenched off of the bed and thrown into his bookcase. Hayner's breath left him in a rush and he fell to his knees as books and trinkets toppled down around him. A loud creak echoed through the room and Hayner glanced up just in time to see the bookshelf wobble before it was falling on top of him. He screamed out in pain as its massive weight crushed his body to the ground. Books and objects were scattered all over the room and Setzer toed his way past them to leave the room.

Hayner gasped for air, a half-sob bubbling up from his throat. He shifted and squirmed.

"S-Seifer!" Hayner breathed out, his one free hand scraping at the wood floor for some sort of purchase and finding nothing. Seifer shoved his way out from under the bed and scrambled to his knees before rushing over to Hayner's trapped form. Seifer didn't waste a second, grasping to the bookcase and lifting it up as much as he could so that Hayner could crawl out from underneath it.

Hayner coughed for air and Seifer's hands were on him in an instant, forcing the blond into a sitting position and holding him there. "You okay?" His pale eyes ghosted over Hayner's body, trying to check for injuries to the best of their ability and finding nothing prominent. Hayner hugged his stomach, nodding.

"Yeah I- I just think I bruised something." He croaked, looking up at Seifer and giving the bully a weak smile. Seifer scowled and he sat down on the floor beside Hayner, opening his mouth once, twice, and then a third time before shutting it with a click of his teeth. Hayner's gaze turned to the closed bedroom door and then to Seifer.

"He's gonna sell my grandma's stuff," he muttered with a hoarse voice. Seifer snapped his head around to stare at Hayner.

"He's /what/?"

Hayner nodded, eyes grazing the room's contents, looking anywhere but the blond that sat on the floor next to him. Seifer massaged the scar that ran along the bridge of his nose and flattened his hand out in a slicing motion. "Let me get this straight. Setzer's holding you here against your will by threatening to pawn off your grandmother's things?" Hayner nodded, pulling in on himself and holding tightly to his legs. He winced, coughing out a whimper and straightening his legs again. Seifer's eyes narrowed, watching Hayner favor his right side with each move that he made.

"My grandma's things are all that I have left of her." Hayner muttered, sniffling once and looking about ready to cry -- whether in pain or at the memory of his grandmother, Seifer didn't know. Hayner turned to look at Seifer, his eyes wide and pleading for Seifer to understand him.

Seifer sighed loudly, carding a hand through his hair. "I don't think your grams would want to know that she's causing you all of this pain just because you want to remember her." He replied, turning his head from Hayner's beseeching gaze. Hayner sniffled again, reaching his scarred arm up to scrub at his eyes.

"I know but--"

"There's no 'buts' Hayner. He's fucking--" Seifer stopped, lowering his voice into a hiss, "he's fucking /hurting/ you, and you're LETTING him!" Seifer reached out to grab the collar of Hayner's shirt, freezing when his arm drew a flinch from the normally brave blond. It ripped Seifer's heart apart to see Hayner go from a defiant punk to a flinching mess, but that didn't stop him from using Hayner's shirt to pull him forward so that they were nose to nose.

"/I/ should be the only one who can beat the crap out of you, Hayner. And that's /only/ in the struggle ring." He snapped, pale eyes searching Hayner's pained face for some hint of understanding. Hayner stared back for a moment before lowering his eyes. Frustration welled up in Seifer, and his hand shot out to grab Hayner's chin, forcing the skater to look him in the eyes.

"Look at me and tell me you want this." Hayner glanced down and back up, his face hardening.

"I-I..." he stuttered, swallowing thickly and looking into Seifer's eyes, his expression one of confusion and frustration. "I don't know what I want." He shook his head.

"Hayner, your gram's stuff shouldn't mean this much to you. Please." Seifer, who never pleaded, used both hands to cup Hayner's face and hold his gaze. It seemed that was all Seifer had to say. The dam broke and Hayner's face screwed up, eyes watering. He sniffled, reaching up to grasp Seifer's fingers and holding them tight. Seifer took this as a cue and leaned forward, mouth pressing to Hayner's in a soft kiss. Hayner parted his lips, deepening the kiss and reaching up to wrap his arms around Seifer's neck.

They were interrupted by the sharp, sudden sound of clapping from the doorway. Seifer and Hayner wrenched apart, turning to see Setzer leaning against the door frame, hands smacking together in applause. Seifer snarled, moving to stand before Hayner wrapped his arms around Seifer's upper body, hugging his back.

"Seifer, stop." Hayner pleaded, knowing full well the extent of what Setzer could do when provoked. Seifer growled low in his throat and Hayner felt the rumble all through his arms.

"I suggest you leave before I --," Setzer chuckled, one thumb idly rubbing at a scar on his chin. "Decide that the police need to be involved? I know you have a history with them and it would be a shame to add another black mark to your record. Breaking and entering can be /nasty/ business," hummed Setzer, swiping a hand through his long hair. Seifer's jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth, reaching up to place his hands over Hayner's that were clasped around his chest.

"Please, Seifer. Just do what he says." Hayner whispered into Seifer's back. Seifer turned around to face Hayner, holding to the blond's hands with a tight grip on his fingers. He stared into Hayner's face for a moment, ignoring Setzer in the background and leaning forward to kiss Hayner again.

Hayner started to pull back, but Seifer shifted into the movement, lips pressing tightly to the other blond's.

"Come stay with me, please." He breathed against Hayner's mouth, softly enough so that only the two of them could hear his plea. Hayner froze for a moment and then pressed his mouth back against Seifer's in a return kiss.

Seifer stood, his hands sliding from Hayner's. He turned, stomping out of the room and shouldering his way past Setzer. Hayner's door closed and there was a loud clatter followed by a pained cry from the blond. Seifer began to turn, but realized that it would only worsen the situation in the end. It took sheer will for Seifer to go down the stairs and out the door.

Seifer stood on the front steps, hands scrubbing at his face before falling down to his sides.

"Fuck."

--

3 Days Later

Seifer pressed his head against the window of the train, watching the ocean flicker past. His backpack sat on the seat beside him, struggle gear in a bag on the floor of his compartment. The sun was setting on the horizon, leaving a trail of gold and red to dance along the water and skyline. The train pulled into the station and Seifer moved to gather his things, shuffling out of the compartment and stomping off of the train with the two other passengers. He trudged out of the station and down the street, heading for his apartment with a heavy heart. Nobody had seen hide nor hair of Hayner and the last time Seifer had gone over there, Setzer had answered the door and refused to let Seifer in.

Seifer stepped into the elevator, pressing his floor number and letting his bag of struggle gear slide off his shoulder and onto the floor for a moment. He was completely off his game at practice today, but Seifer chalked it up to his incessant worrying about Hayner's well-being.

The elevator dinged gently, doors sliding open. Seifer bent down to get the struggle bag, slipping it onto his shoulder. He took three steps out of the elevator and froze at the sight that greeted him, sitting in front of his apartment door.

"Hayner." Seifer dropped his backpack and struggle gear right where he stood, marching over to the boy that sat in a ball at his doorstep. Hayner stood, opening his mouth -- one that boasted a split lip -- and froze when Seifer pulled him into a fierce hug. Hayner went limp in Seifer's grasp, winding his arms around the taller boy and returning the embrace.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Seifer hissed, pulling back long enough to examine Hayner's busted lip and black eye, his face turning icy.

Hayner ignored Seifer's cold expression, too busy staring down at his own shoes to notice. After a moment, Hayner glanced up to stare at Seifer, searching his pale gaze. Then, he spoke.

"I left him, Seifer."

* * *

LOL HI GUYS.

review? ;D?

to be continued in the epilogue


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